{"id":3341,"date":"2011-07-10T01:32:10","date_gmt":"2011-07-09T18:32:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/?p=3341"},"modified":"2011-07-10T01:47:19","modified_gmt":"2011-07-09T18:47:19","slug":"5-tips-when-talking-to-your-teens-about-car-safety","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/5-tips-when-talking-to-your-teens-about-car-safety\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Tips When Talking to Your Teens About Car Safety"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Lori Cunningham<\/span><\/p>\n

This post is a part of a larger series stemming from my participation in the\u00a0Forward with Ford<\/a><\/span> symposium I attended* at Ford, just outside of Detroit.<\/span><\/em><\/address>\n

Dr. Charles Sophy, Medical Director of Los Angeles Welfare Services, the largest foster care in the country, gave a presentation on the importance of how to have the “other” conversation with your child. \u00a0I have summarized his presentation here.<\/p>\n

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The first thing you need to do when teaching children about safety on the road is to educate yourself on the process and rules of the road.\u00a0 Be confident in your role as teacher.<\/p>\n

Make the conversation an emotionally safe one.\u00a0 Allow your child to participate in the conversation and avoid, “when I was your age…” comments.<\/p>\n

Make sure you do as you tell your children to do.\u00a0 If you never put on your seatbelt before you drive, chances are likely they wont either.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Teens need control.\u00a0 Their friends are their new family.\u00a0 Make a contract with them and write it down.<\/p>\n

Above all, practice, practice, practice with your teen.\u00a0 Help them (and you) to feel more confident with their driving.\u00a0 Remember, a skilled driver is a safe driver.\u00a0 Also, take your teen out for random drive checks to ensure they’re doing what they tell you they’re doing on the road.<\/p>\n

Educate your teen on statistics and stories about other teens.\u00a0 Teens identify with their peers so tell them about the stakes involved in driving unsafely.\u00a0 You’re not scaring them but educating them.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Know your child and incorporate any safeguards that will help both of you feel better about their driving.\u00a0 Prepare them ahead of time, tell them that the road may make them more anxious but over time they’ll gain more confidence.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Keep it human, remind your teen that vehicles aren’t just obstacles or pieces of metal but they carry people with flesh and bones and families just like you.\u00a0 Their safety is just as important to a driver as their own.<\/p>\n

Over time, the parent will grant their teen more trust as the teen shows responsibility on an ongoing basis.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Encourage your teen to embody safety principles by calling you to pick them up, even if in awkward or embarrassing situations.\u00a0 Ensure you both talk about speed limit and radio volume maxes.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Ensure your child knows your expectations of safe driving.\u00a0 Help them understand that having fun in the car is not reckless or risky behaviors.\u00a0 Nor does cockiness equate to confidence.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Handing over the keys to your teen is a growth process.\u00a0 It’s a sign of trust, but not unbridled trust.\u00a0 A teen will need your help in learning the skills and rules of the road properly.\u00a0 It is a teen’s job to earn your trust which gives him\/her a larger sphere of influence in borrowing your car.<\/p>\n

For more information on Teens and Driving see of WellConnectedMom.com’s other\u00a0articles about teens:<\/p>\n

Teens and Cellphones: \u00a0A Primer<\/a>,\u00a0Manners<\/a>,\u00a0Safety<\/a>, and\u00a0Sexting<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Also see:<\/p>\n