The best thing about your teens getting their driver licenses is having additional drivers in the house. For example, when one needs a last-minute trip to the supermarket, you need only jingle the car keys and your teen drivers will appear out of nowhere to volunteer their chauffer services.
On the other hand, the worst thing about having new, young drivers in the house is worrying about them and their lack of driving experience.
Important Information About Teen Drivers
- Teens are involved in collisions because they are inexperienced drivers.
- Speeding is the cause of 31% of all fatal collisions involving teens.
- Texting and driving are linked to more than 1.6 million car crashes in the U.S. each year.
- A moving violation from anyone on your policy can raise your insurance premiums as much as 20%.
For teens to become safe drivers, parents should set them up for success. This begins by setting good examples because children emulate their parents. In other words, if you want your teens to be good drivers, parents should demonstrate safe driving habits themselves.
Young Drivers Should Always:
- Wear seatbelts. Seatbelt usage reduces crash-related injuries and deaths by about 50%.
- Keep distractions — such as stereo usage, nighttime driving and extra passengers — to a minimum.
- Have a spare tire, emergency road kit, working flashlight and first aid kit in the trunk.
- Have a membership with an auto club or other roadside assistance service.
Young Drivers Should Never:
- Text or phone while driving. In case of emergency, pull off the road and call 911.
- Drive aggressively. Speeding, tailgating and making erratic lane changes endanger everyone in the car and everyone else on the road. Furthermore, fast starts and quick braking is hard on the car.
- Drive with a gas tank that’s less than a quarter-tank full.
Tips for Buying Your Teen’s First Car
- Prioritize safety and reliability ahead of style and horsepower.
- Determine your budget and stick to it.
- Ask a reputable mechanic to inspect the car.
- Research several sources for vehicles before committing. An online auto auction that sells used cars can be a good place to find a quality vehicle at a low price.
Taking Care of Your Teen’s New Car
- Have your teen put reminders for the car’s service schedule in his or her phone’s calendar.
- It’s typically less expensive to add teens to an adult’s insurance policy rather than letting them purchase individual, separate coverage.
Read the accompanying resource to learn more.
Infographic created by Capital Auto Auction, a vehicle auction company