Do you have new teenage drivers in your household? If so, they may be looking forward to getting on the road this summer. You, however, might be worried about their safety. After all, Hollywood and Florida authorities sometimes note that teens and new drivers have a potentially higher risk of injuries and crashes.
To make sure that your teenager has a good first summer on the road with a reduced risk of injuries, make sure that you:
Set some ground rules.
Studies have suggested that teenage passengers are one of the leading causes of distraction for teenage drivers and can increase the risk of car accidents considerably. Set rules about the number of friends that your teenager can have in the car at any one time. Also, make sure that your teen knows the dangers of distracted driving and drunk driving. Give your teen statistics about distraction and DUI accidents in Hollywood and Florida. Make it clear that driving privileges will be revoked if your teen drives unsafely.
Have a realistic view of your teen’s driving skills.
Do not just assume that your child has the driving skills needed to stay safe. Even with driver training and a license, your teen may have some bad driving habits that put them at risk. Go on drives with your child and have them drive you to the store or to other locations. Do they have bad habits that need to be addressed now before they become major concerns? Are there rules of the road that they seem confused about? If needed, make sure that your child gets some remedial or additional driver training before being allowed on the road.
Make sure their car is in good condition.
Teenagers often drive older cars that have been gifted to them by their families or which they have purchased with savings. Unfortunately, these older cars may not be in excellent shape or may lack some of the safety features of newer models. Buying a new car for your teenager may not be possible, but make sure that your child’s car at least gets a good tune-up before the summer months to ensure that it is safe to drive.
Make sure their driving skills keep them safe.
Consider signing your child up for additional defensive driving classes or racing classes to improve their confidence and their skills behind the wheel. Even a few one-on-one lessons with a professional driving instructor can help them build their skills and can help take care of any bad habits before they have a chance to form.
Have you or your child been involved in an intersection accident, sideswipe collision in Hollywood, or another type of car accident in South Florida? The attorneys of Flaxman Law Group have worked with thousands of car accident and personal injury plaintiffs across South Florida. We understand how devastating these types of accidents can be and we do everything we can to protect plaintiffs like you in the courtroom and at the negotiating table. If you have been injured, you can always contact us for a free, no obligation case analysis.