WHY IT’S IMPORTANT FOR YOUR TEEN TO DRIVE SAFELY

Road accidents are the most common forms of accidents and they get worse when people don’t learn from their mistakes or work on them. And people cannot learn from their mistakes if they don’t even know what constitutes bad driving in the first place and that is why driving licenses as a necessity, as it is proof that one has knowledge of safe driving and is qualified to be on the road.

MAIN CAUSES OF ROAD ACCIDENTS

Over speeding: There are many reasons why speed limit is put in place such as the safety of other road users, lower impact during accidents, lower risk of accidents, and a speed limit helps keep a vehicle under better control in case of emergencies. Failure to keep to the limit leads to more road accidents.

Drunk driving: Alcohol affects both the mental and physical state of the body, which will lead to decreased concentration and reaction time of a person and that can lead to an error in judgement which has very fatal consequences.

Distractions to the driver: Things like texting while driving or other forms of distractions takes the attention of the driver away from the road and that can have devastating consequences.

Red light jumping: Traffic lights are there for the purpose of reducing risk rates and keeping vehicles under control. When traffic laws are disobeyed, it increases the risk of road accidents.

Other causes include not adhering to the right lane, avoiding safety gears, overtaking wrongly, recklessness etc.

HOW TEENS CAN DRIVE SAFELY

Teenagers tend to get very excited over the idea of driving but here are some tips to help you drive safely as a teenager:

Make sure you make a commitment to safe driving

Avoid driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol.

Take a driver’s education course

Get your permit

Avoid reckless driving

Keep the safety of other road users in mind

Use the appropriate safety measures such as seatbelts

Don’t drive if you feel drowsy or dizzy

Do not use your mobile phone while driving

Make sure you drive with an adult during the first six months

HOW PARENTS CAN HELP THEIR KIDS BECOME BETTER DRIVERS

Parents need to step in in order to encourage safe driving in teenagers and they can do that in the following ways:

Be a good role model for the kids

Help them keep an eye out for potential hazards

Be patient with their early mistakes

Supervise their driving at an early stage

Have a driving curfew

Have open and honest conversations about driving with them

Be willing to listen to and entertain any questions they may have.

Safe driving is not for the benefit of the teenagers alone, it is also for the benefit of the entire community. Accidents will be less frequent and driving will be much safer if more people will obey the necessary rules and regulations. Let’s help the teens drive more safely for a better and safer world.