While we have always been taught to keep our full attention on the road when driving, you might be surprised by how many individuals are driving distracted. Today, there are many drivers texting, going online and even putting on makeup while navigating to where they have to go. In order to correct this behavior, it’s best to teach your teenagers the dangers of distracted driving. Check out six tips on how to do this below:
1. Be a Role Model
A lot of times parents don’t realize that their behavior is often adopted by their children, regardless of what’s being preached. The teenagers will act in a way that mimics what you’re doing on the road. This is why you have to remain a role model at all times and never engage in distracted driving.
2. Speak Up When You See This Behavior
If you notice that your teenager is engaging in distracted driving, you must speak up. It may be easy to just let this behavior slide and avoid confrontation, but you have a responsibility to protect the other drivers on the road as well as those inside the vehicle you’re in. Make your teenagers aware of their distracted driving.
3. Educate Your Teenager on Why This is So Dangerous
A lot of teenagers claim that they are fantastic at multitasking. However, there have been multiple studies that have come out which show this is not the case. Our brains can’t do too many things well at once. Pick out one of the many studies that shows that even just talking with one person while you’re out driving can really lower your ability to operate the car. These studies may be what it takes to get your child to finally see the error of their ways.
4. Have the Phone Disabled Before Driving
Before your teenager even starts driving, teach them to disable their phone and stow it away. As the saying goes, “out of sight, out of mind.” While your teenager may feel uneasy about putting their phone away at first, they will get used to it. Now, there won’t be any temptations to even look at your phone and become distracted.
5. Leave It To Others to Operate Phone Matters
When your teenager explains to you that they need their phone while out on the road in case of emergencies, tell them that you can always leave all matters of the phone to their passengers. If there are others in the car, have them operate the phone. This includes everything from looking up destinations to making whatever calls are needed.
6. Pull Over if You Must
If your teenager need to make a phone call, send a text or do anything that will require their eyes to come off the road for a second, teach them to pull over. That little extra time spent pulling over to a safe spot is always worth it, as it beats death, a serious disability or time spent in prison.
There is so much today that can distract us on the road. It seems we are always in a rush and trying to do more than we can handle. That’s why as a parent you need to employ these six tips so that your child becomes a safe driver and fights the urge to become distracted. It’s important that they know how to deal with driver distractions so they can drive safely.
