Raising a teenager is a nerve-wracking experience in itself and things can get even more challenging when your teenager gets a driver’s license. Imagining the child driving through the busy highway tracking is nothing worse than a nightmare, considering the horror stories you hear every day. Still, you have to keep your cool and think about the practical aspects of the situation. While the young driver will probably gain experience over time, there are still some steps and precautions that you can prioritize as a parent. Further, there are some common mistakes that parents make while giving their teens permission to drive. Here are the ones that you need to avoid making the situation less stressful.
Letting them drive too soon
Just because the law permits them to start driving at the age of 16, do not give your child permission to go behind the wheel at this age. The teen may insist but not holding firm as a parent can be the biggest blunder that you can make. Convince them to wait at least a year or two more before enrolling for a driving course. Even a few years can bring a good addition to their maturity level and ability to handle critical situations on the road. This can be a good idea from the insurance perspective too because every year added can lower the policy rate’s increase for you.
Acting as a distracted passenger
Once the child has completed the driver’s education, he or she will be enthusiastic about hitting the road. Obviously, you would want to accompany your teen for at least their first few times on the road. Being nervous and stressed out will be natural but ensure that you do not distract them. Do share your feedback and suggestions positively because being too negative can take toll of their confidence. Do not get into small talk while the child is driving because they need to concentrate fully when they are on the road. Whatever they pick in the first few rides will definitely have an impact on their driving habits.
Not adding them to your policy
You may think that you can wait a bit before adding the teen to your policy, but this can be a major blunder. Even if the child is just permitted to drive around the block, they must be a part of your policy. Jeffrey Preszler from Preszler Law of Ontario explains that Ontario law says that the owner of a vehicle may be deemed responsible for an accident involving their car even if another individual was the driver. So, before you hand them over the car keys, make sure that they are covered.
Forgetting about the good-grade account
Youngsters who are good students are granted the benefit of good-grade discount on their insurance rates. The reasoning behind this is that statistics show that good students make safe drivers. So if your child is a bright student, make sure that you report the same to the insurance company and you will definitely be able to economize the rates for yourself.
Not checking pay-as-you-go programs
Pay-as-you-drive insurance refers to the usage-based insurance that uses telematics technology to monitor the driving behavior with an in-car device. Insurance companies use metrics such as miles covered in a day, the time when you drive, how often you drive over a certain limit, how often you slam the brakes, etc. If these metrics indicate that the driver has safe habits, you definitely secure a discount. Enrolling for the program gets additional advantages for teens and parents who follow good driving practices.
Failing to enforce the rules
Another big mistake that a parent of a teen driver can make is failing to enforce safe driving rules for their children. Legally, teen drivers are subjected to certain restrictions but things should begin at home. Set a curfew to ensure that the child is not allowed to take the car out at night. Also, avoid sending them out with a bunch of teenagers because they may end up doing a mischief out of sheer immaturity. Besides just enforcing rules, set an example for them by following best driving practices.
Buying them a new car
You may want to surprise your teen with a new car on their birthday but don’t buy them one until they become experienced enough. Beyond the thrill factor that it may bring for the child, it also has financial implications in terms of higher insurance value. Let them grow up enough to practice safe driving and be capable of handling the expenses on their own.
As a teen parent, you are responsible for the safety of your child if you give them the freedom of driving. Do let them learn but have boundaries for them. Also, make sure that you get them insurance coverage for additional safety.