As parents, you have a major influence over your teens driving habits. Set a good example with your own driving practices and review some key points with your new driver, on a regular basis.

Though your teen took a driver’s education class, they could still benefit from driving practice with their parents. Be the first to take them out in challenging weather conditions to give them first-hand experience and your valuable guidance. Take them driving at dusk and at night. Help them gain the needed experience to go from their neighborhood street to a freeway. It takes many months of experience to develop solid, safe driving skills under a variety of circumstances.

Once your teen has gotten their license, begin by setting limits as to when and where they may drive, during which hours of the day, and who may be in the car with them.

Encourage them to look for and observe all speed limit signs and to wear their seat belts at all times. Let them know the importance of insisting that their passengers use their seat belts, too. Review how much distance they need to stop under a variety of conditions and encourage them to keep a safe distance from the car ahead of them.

Discuss their use of cell phones and texting and prohibit them from using their phones while operating their vehicle. If they need to use their phone, insist that they pull safely off the road to use it. It’s not just a matter of an expensive ticket; it’s the safety and well being of your teen and their passengers.

Let your teen know that you have a zero-tolerance policy for alcohol use and will take away their driving privileges for an extended period of time if there is ever any indication that alcohol was used by anyone in the car they were driving.

If you have a teen who loves to work on their car, be sure to know what they are doing. Many teens will try to modify their vehicles to enhance appearance and performance, but some modifications may be unsafe. wheel spacers, for example, are used for a variety of reasons from appearance to body clearance, but can impact steering making it more difficult. wheel spacers may even be illegal in your state. Ask your teen to let you know what modifications they want to make to their car so you can make sure they are legal and done correctly for continued safe driving.

Driving is a big responsibility. Discuss it with your teen. Practice with your teen. Let them know how important their safety is to their family.

View all Ryan Davis's articles

---

About the Author:
The author has an immense knowledge on BMW wheels and tires. Know more about BMW related info in his website.

More Automotive articles