Traffic accidents are the #1 cause of death for teens in the United States. I don’t mean to scare you, but it’s best to be aware. If you’re raising a new driver, watch out for these teen driving mistakes.
1. They drive too fast.
Remember when you were young? I bet you hated rules. I know I did.
At times, I did the exact opposite of what my parents asked just to spite them. That’s how being a kid works!
Expect your sweet angel to break the speed limit. You can’t prevent this, because most teens are naturally rebellious. Here’s a helpful hint. Explain why the speed limit is necessary in words they will understand. Not sure what to say? Use this script for inspiration:
“I know it’s fun to drive fast. To be honest, I broke the speed limit when I was your age. That wasn’t smart, though. The speed limit is there to protect you. Some drivers slam their brakes for no good reason. If you go too fast, you won’t have enough time to react. I don’t mean to nitpick. I just want you to be safe.”
2. They get distracted.
Distracted driving kills more teens than drunk driving. Isn’t it crazy that a cellphone can be more dangerous than alcohol? First, walk the walk. If you text while driving, then your children won’t take your warnings seriously. 10% of drivers are talking on the phone at any given moment (source). Don’t be one of them. It can wait.
Second, be mindful of youth culture. Most teens expect texts to be answered immediately. If you just tell your teen not to text, they will probably ignore you. Instead, ask them to give their friends a heads-up. They could pause to send a quick text that says, “About to be on driving. Might be slow to respond,” before they start the car.
3. They take ill-advised risks.
Teenagers feel invincible. They naturally seek more risks than adults. The human brain doesn’t fully mature until the early 20’s. That’s why young people are so impulsive. This can lead to poor driving decisions such as:
- Driving while drunk
- Running traffic lights
- Not wearing their seat belt
- Not checking their blind spot
Don’t just tell them, “Don’t do that!” They will rebel. Make sure they understand why all of these safe driving habits are important. Feel free to use the script I shared in point #1. Simply swap in your kid’s problem habit and presto!
4. They try to impress friends.
Peer pressure is real.
Your teen might be a cautious driver alone.
Add a friend to the mix and that could change in a hurry.
This is especially true for boys, who are two times more likely to die in car accidents than girls.
Girls aren’t innocent either. They also drive more recklessly when there’s a male in the passenger seat. For the curious, here’s an interesting article about how gender affects the behavior of teen drivers.
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