Is Your Teen Safe Behind The Wheel On South Florida Roadways?

Time flies, and all of a sudden your baby is a teenager and wants to drive. While this thought may inject a combination of pride and fear in the hearts of most parents, as it is the parent’s job to keep their children safe, there are things you can and should do to increase the chances that your teen will be safe behind the wheel. Set guidelines and standards for behavior behind a wheel and outline the ramifications for disregard.

Your teen sees a driver license as a step towards independence and freedom, first and foremost, set a good example; drive carefully and show your child how a safe driver operates – if you speed, tailgate, and drive aggressively, your teen probably will as well. Second, make sure your teen completely understands the dangers associated with driving – not only for him but also for his passengers and for the other drivers and pedestrians with whom he or she shares the road. Third, insist that your teen and his passengers wear seat belts every time they are in the car. Fourth, establish a clear set of rules – make sure your teen understands that driving demands full attention: forbid mobile phone use, eating while driving, and of course, any form of drinking and driving. And you can restrict the number of people that your teen is allowed to have in the car – the less distractions, the better the concentration. Fifth, since nighttime is a more dangerous time to drive, set a curfew time. And finally, stress that any unsafe behavior or failure to obey the rules you’ve established means that the keys will be taken away. Bottom line, you as a parent have an immense impact on your teen’s driving habits from the beginning, the longer you stay involved for the duration of their teenage years, the safer they will be on the roads.

While having a teen on your auto policy is likely to raise the price of your car insurance, in some cases they can double, that’s because teen driver accidents are extremely high. Make sure to check with your insurer for discounts to lower your teen car insurance premiums. Some insurers offer them, for example, if your teen is on the honor roll, gets B average or higher as a combined grade, or completes an approved safe driving course.

Regardless of how good a driver your teen turns out to be, accidents do happen. If you or a loved one has been involved in an accident, contact the Automobile Accident Attorneys of Fenstersheib Law Group, P.A., toll-free, at 1-800-TellRobert. We have over three decades of experience with auto accidents and personal injury cases, and we will evaluate your claim free of charge and advise you about your legal rights to collect compensation. Our phones are answered 24 hours a day, 7 days per week.