By Colleen Benzin | Contributor
Teen Drivers—it’s both an exciting and daunting experience. Having a teenager behind the wheel can significantly lighten your carpool duties while simultaneously raising concerns about their safety on the road. Thankfully, there is a wealth of information available to help you guide your child towards becoming a conscientious driver and to prepare your household for the addition of a new driver.
Educate Them on Distracted Driving
As a parent of a teenager at the wheel, teaching them to drive can be one of the most nerve-wracking moments. While you’re focused on essential driving skills such as merging and checking mirrors, it’s crucial not to overlook the importance of educating them about a major hazard—distracted driving.
Often, when we think of “distracted driving,” we immediately think of texting. However, it encompasses a wide range of behaviors that many may not recognize as distractions. The human brain is designed to focus on one task at a time; thus, when we assume we’re multitasking, we’re simply toggling rapidly between tasks. Therefore, anything that diverts your attention from driving constitutes distracted driving.
You can help ensure your teen remains safe and focused with these three straightforward approaches:
- Lead by Example: If you aspire for your teen to be a responsible driver, demonstrate what that looks like in your own driving behavior. Allocate time for practice sessions to help them develop habits that keep distractions at bay.
- Make Safe Driving Enjoyable: Encourage good driving practices by incorporating rewards and visual reminders, such as a painted fingernail or a red string attached to the steering wheel. You could also implement a fun penalty, like putting a dollar in a jar every time one of you is caught distracted—proceeds could support a safe driving initiative.
- Embrace Technology: Leverage technology to reinforce sound driving habits through various apps and devices. For instance, you can use Bouncie, available through Apparent Insurance, which alerts you to behaviors like hard braking or speeding that could signify distraction. Many smartphones also come equipped with features designed to help maintain focus on the road.
Prepare Them for an Accident
While we all hope to avoid accidents, it’s vital for teens to understand the necessary steps to take immediately and in the aftermath of a collision.
Keep this list of ten actions to take in the event of an accident in their glove compartment:
- Ensure safety—move the vehicle to a safe area, such as the side of the road or a nearby parking lot, and activate the hazard lights.
- Switch off the engine.
- Check on others involved to see if medical assistance is needed.
- Contact the police, even for minor incidents.
- Take photos and document the accident scene with your phone.
- Exchange relevant information with the other driver, including names, contact details, license plate numbers, insurance information, and vehicle make/model.
- Do not admit fault to the other party.
- Notify your auto insurance provider as soon as feasible.
- Later that day, jot down a detailed account of the accident and keep it in a secure location.
- As time passes, maintain a file for all related documentation and communication in one place.
Reduce the Expense of Adding Them to Your Policy
It’s widely known that insuring a teen driver can substantially inflate your insurance costs. Consider these tips to help keep your premiums manageable:
- Show off your student’s academic achievements! Many insurers provide a Good Student Discount for those maintaining a “B” average or higher.
- Insure multiple vehicles. Adding another car to your policy can often lead to unexpected savings, with some customers experiencing up to 26% reductions through Apparent Insurance when covering more than one vehicle.
- Inquire about accident forgiveness. Since it’s common for teens to have accidents during their first driving year, Apparent Insurance offers an upgraded accident forgiveness program that prevents the initial accident from affecting your rates.
- Consider how frequently they will be driving. Some insurance companies offer discounts for students attending school away from home, which can lead to savings for those heading to college.
- Promote safe driving. With a Diminishing Deductible feature, your collision deductible can decrease annually by $100 simply for being a careful driver.
In Summary
Driving can provoke anxiety, regardless of experience. As eager as your teen may be to master driving, they might also feel apprehensive. While it’s natural for you to experience some stress, Apparent Insurance aims to alleviate your concerns with tailored offerings for both teens and their parents—this insurance provider is built by parents who understand your needs.
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in 2020. Colleen Benzin is an expert in insurance at Apparent Insurance. For more details, visit ApparentInsurance.com.
