Crash Proof Your Teens: Safe Driving Techniques by Timothy Smith
Many parents today are apprehensive about handing over the car keys to their teenager, and rightfully so. Car crashes kill more teenagers every year in this country than guns, drugs, alcohol, suicide and violence combined.
If a parent does not recognize the importance of their own teaching role to insure the safe driving habits of their children, they are right to fear the worst. Unfortunately, many parents feel that driver education programs ought to be enough to teach their teen how to handle a vehicle and the rules of the road.
In reality, in every state, our teenagers get only 1 to 6 hours behind the wheel of a car in driver's ed, barely enough time to understand the laws required to pass the driving exam and handle a car in the most basic of traffic situations. They need at least 30 to 50 hours behind the wheel to begin to understand and develop safe driving skills and how to deal with the real dangers of the road.
Timothy Smith, author of Crash Proof Your Kids, Make Your Teen a Safer, Smarter Driver says, "Parents have the ultimate responsibility to ensure that their teenagers develop safe driving skills and behaviors. But too many, either underestimating their role or lacking effective methods, have failed to help equip their teens to handle the single most dangerous thing they will ever do, at their most risky age."
After a rash of fatal car crashes in his neighborhood, all of which involved mistakes by teen drivers, Smith, a father of three teenagers, realized it was time to get involved in helping his own teenagers develop safe driving skills. When he tried to find information on the subject of safe driving, he found there was very little useful information available to teens and parents to take them well beyond basic driver's ed.
Smith, an award-winning author and trained race car driver decided to do further research and created a step by step plan designed to Radically reduce teen automobile crashes. Following the Crashproof Plan he developed will give your teenager the skills needed to be successful drivers and survive in all adverse driving situations.
Here are just a few tips that you can put toward saving your teens life:
Sit down with your teenager and discuss the process of learning to drive, and sign a Crashproof Contract that outlines the boundaries, establishing penalties and incentives for driving decisions and use of the car. Discuss all the issues and risks involved: speeding, road rage, drinking, drugs, distractions, cell phones, passengers, curfews, etc.
Get your teen's participation in this process and agreement, to create a plan for your teen to safely assume the responsibility for use of a car. Help them understand this is about helping them deal with the single most dangerous thing they will probably ever do.
It is important to always remain a positive role model. Your children learn from you, they will emulate the driving habits you have showed them long before it was even time for them to starting thinking about learning. You cannot expect your teenagers to get into the car, use their seat belts, and practice safe driving practices if they don't see you doing the same thing.
Drive within the speed limit, use your turn signals, be a courteous driver and never use a cell phone while driving. Remember, your children are watching you, learning from your behavior and imitating you.
Keep communication lines open. That means try not to take a critical approach, but emphasize the need for safety and everyone's commitment to training them to be safer, smarter drivers. When driving with your teen, set specific goals for each driving lesson and acknowledge accomplishments. Stay calm, focus on constructive comments and making your time together positive.You don't want your teen to stop listening after all.
Start slow with simple exercises that reinforce safe driving habits. Try drills such as breaking in emergency situations, handling a car in inclement weather, night time driving, city streets and highway driving. Get your teen behind the wheel in every driving condition you can think of. Practice overcoming the specific challenges each driving situations presents.
Get started with these proactive strategies excerpted from the Crashproof Plan to help your teens be safer, smarter drivers. You will sleep better at night knowing that you did your part in giving your children the skills they need to return home safely every time they take a drive.
If a parent does not recognize the importance of their own teaching role to insure the safe driving habits of their children, they are right to fear the worst. Unfortunately, many parents feel that driver education programs ought to be enough to teach their teen how to handle a vehicle and the rules of the road.
In reality, in every state, our teenagers get only 1 to 6 hours behind the wheel of a car in driver's ed, barely enough time to understand the laws required to pass the driving exam and handle a car in the most basic of traffic situations. They need at least 30 to 50 hours behind the wheel to begin to understand and develop safe driving skills and how to deal with the real dangers of the road.
Timothy Smith, author of Crash Proof Your Kids, Make Your Teen a Safer, Smarter Driver says, "Parents have the ultimate responsibility to ensure that their teenagers develop safe driving skills and behaviors. But too many, either underestimating their role or lacking effective methods, have failed to help equip their teens to handle the single most dangerous thing they will ever do, at their most risky age."
After a rash of fatal car crashes in his neighborhood, all of which involved mistakes by teen drivers, Smith, a father of three teenagers, realized it was time to get involved in helping his own teenagers develop safe driving skills. When he tried to find information on the subject of safe driving, he found there was very little useful information available to teens and parents to take them well beyond basic driver's ed.
Smith, an award-winning author and trained race car driver decided to do further research and created a step by step plan designed to Radically reduce teen automobile crashes. Following the Crashproof Plan he developed will give your teenager the skills needed to be successful drivers and survive in all adverse driving situations.
Here are just a few tips that you can put toward saving your teens life:
Sit down with your teenager and discuss the process of learning to drive, and sign a Crashproof Contract that outlines the boundaries, establishing penalties and incentives for driving decisions and use of the car. Discuss all the issues and risks involved: speeding, road rage, drinking, drugs, distractions, cell phones, passengers, curfews, etc.
Get your teen's participation in this process and agreement, to create a plan for your teen to safely assume the responsibility for use of a car. Help them understand this is about helping them deal with the single most dangerous thing they will probably ever do.
It is important to always remain a positive role model. Your children learn from you, they will emulate the driving habits you have showed them long before it was even time for them to starting thinking about learning. You cannot expect your teenagers to get into the car, use their seat belts, and practice safe driving practices if they don't see you doing the same thing.
Drive within the speed limit, use your turn signals, be a courteous driver and never use a cell phone while driving. Remember, your children are watching you, learning from your behavior and imitating you.
Keep communication lines open. That means try not to take a critical approach, but emphasize the need for safety and everyone's commitment to training them to be safer, smarter drivers. When driving with your teen, set specific goals for each driving lesson and acknowledge accomplishments. Stay calm, focus on constructive comments and making your time together positive.You don't want your teen to stop listening after all.
Start slow with simple exercises that reinforce safe driving habits. Try drills such as breaking in emergency situations, handling a car in inclement weather, night time driving, city streets and highway driving. Get your teen behind the wheel in every driving condition you can think of. Practice overcoming the specific challenges each driving situations presents.
Get started with these proactive strategies excerpted from the Crashproof Plan to help your teens be safer, smarter drivers. You will sleep better at night knowing that you did your part in giving your children the skills they need to return home safely every time they take a drive.
About the Author:
For more teen crash proofing strategies from Timothy C. Smith catch his entire enlightening interview with Randy Gilbert host of The Inside Success Show for FREE!
posted by Frank Potter at 4:34 PM
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