Teaching your child to drive is an important milestone for many parents. Even if they have started having lessons from a professional instructor, there are few things you can do to reinforce their learning. It’s essential to explain the importance of safety, as well as a few car maintenance tips. This will hopefully help them become a more confident driver and give you peace of mind in the future. Here are a few ways to teach your teen safe driving habits. 

Lead by example

Firstly, they will adopt your behaviour and habits so it’s important to be the best example for your kids. Avoid succumbing to road rage when they’re in the car with you, and always follow the traffic laws rather than cutting corners. If you lead by example, it will be easier to teach your teen better driving habits.

Remove any distractions

Ensure they avoid any distractions while driving. This includes the use of phones and electronic devices, which is against the law and even eating and drinking. You should also advise them that while they’re getting used to driving it’s not a good idea to listen to loud music or chat with other passengers. Try to get them into the habit of this. Here are a few more ways you can reduce driver distraction.

Teach them about car maintenance

Teaching your teen about car maintenance will give them more confidence in the event of a breakdown, and they’ll also know how to inspect their vehicle before embarking on a long journey. Your teen should learn about basic car maintenance during their lessons but you can reinforce this at home by looking at your own car. Here are a few basic car maintenance tips to get you started. This will also help engage your teen’s curiosity a little more if they’re not very interested in cars.

Practise driving in different weather conditions

If your teen hasn’t had the opportunity to drive in different weather conditions it’s a good idea to take them out on the road. They can then get some practise driving in rain or icy weather which will help them in the future. Winter weather is often the most problematic and it’s important to learn a few techniques and to know when to avoid driving when it’s too dangerous. Here are some useful safety tips for winter.

Choose a vehicle with advanced safety features

Most new and used cars will have advanced safety features, but if you’re looking at trucks for sale, for instance, check out their specs beforehand. Look for features like autonomous emergency braking (AEB), blind-spot detection, traction control, and adaptive headlights. You could also consider adding accessories such as route managing software or a dashcam. The majority of vehicles on the market nowadays will have excellent safety features, but you can always read reviews and shop around before choosing your teen’s first car. This way, you’ll have peace of mind and will be able to teach them more about safe driving habits.