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.
Parents fear the worst, yet underrate their responsibility in assuring the driving safety of their children. Many feel it is the responsibility of driver education programs to teach their teens the rules of the road and how to handle a vehicle.
Teenagers need at least 30 to 50 hours behind the wheel before they begin to understand the real dangers of the road and develop safe driving skills. In reality, our teenagers are only getting 1 to 6 hours behind the wheel of a car in driver's ed, in every state. That is barely enough time to understand the laws required to pass the driving test and handle the car in even the most basic traffic situations.
Parents have the ultimate responsibility to ensure their teens are properly educate with the skills and behaviors required to be safe and smart drivers. Timothy Smith, author of Crash Proof Your Kids, Make Your Teen a Safer, Smarter Driver believes "Either underestimating their role and lacking effective methods parents are failing to equip their teenagers with the skills to handle the single most dangerous thing they will ever do in their life and 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 was an award-winning author and trained race car driver, so he decided to do further research and created the Crashproof Plan, a step by step plan designed to significantly reduce teen car crashes. Following his blueprint to safe teenage driving will give your teenager the skills needed to survive on the roads today, and successfully deal with adverse driving situations.
Here are just a few ways you can save your kid's life:
Take time with your teenager to sit down 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. The goal is to have your teen understand the learning process and the issues involved.
Your teen's participation in this process is the key to success. You must both agree to create a plan for your teen to safely assume the responsibility for use of a car. Remember, you're on their side but they need to understand driving is probably the single most dangerous thing they will 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.
Adhere to the speed limit, signal when turning, be a courteous driver and never use a cell phone while driving. Always keep in mind, your children are watching you, learning from your behavior and imitating you.
Communicating with your children is key to them becoming safer and smarter drivers. Don't criticize your teen, but emphasize on the measures needed for safe driving. Always remain calm while your teen is driving, and focus on constructive methods to focus on their driving more efficiently. You do not want your teens to stop listening, so make your time together and your lessons positive, with specific goals for each driving lesson.
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.
Follow these proactive strategies and help your teenagers (and you) become safer, smarter drivers. The Crashproof Plan will prepare them to face any kind of driving situation that they may encounter when driving a car. 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.
Parents fear the worst, yet underrate their responsibility in assuring the driving safety of their children. Many feel it is the responsibility of driver education programs to teach their teens the rules of the road and how to handle a vehicle.
Teenagers need at least 30 to 50 hours behind the wheel before they begin to understand the real dangers of the road and develop safe driving skills. In reality, our teenagers are only getting 1 to 6 hours behind the wheel of a car in driver's ed, in every state. That is barely enough time to understand the laws required to pass the driving test and handle the car in even the most basic traffic situations.
Parents have the ultimate responsibility to ensure their teens are properly educate with the skills and behaviors required to be safe and smart drivers. Timothy Smith, author of Crash Proof Your Kids, Make Your Teen a Safer, Smarter Driver believes "Either underestimating their role and lacking effective methods parents are failing to equip their teenagers with the skills to handle the single most dangerous thing they will ever do in their life and 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 was an award-winning author and trained race car driver, so he decided to do further research and created the Crashproof Plan, a step by step plan designed to significantly reduce teen car crashes. Following his blueprint to safe teenage driving will give your teenager the skills needed to survive on the roads today, and successfully deal with adverse driving situations.
Here are just a few ways you can save your kid's life:
Take time with your teenager to sit down 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. The goal is to have your teen understand the learning process and the issues involved.
Your teen's participation in this process is the key to success. You must both agree to create a plan for your teen to safely assume the responsibility for use of a car. Remember, you're on their side but they need to understand driving is probably the single most dangerous thing they will 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.
Adhere to the speed limit, signal when turning, be a courteous driver and never use a cell phone while driving. Always keep in mind, your children are watching you, learning from your behavior and imitating you.
Communicating with your children is key to them becoming safer and smarter drivers. Don't criticize your teen, but emphasize on the measures needed for safe driving. Always remain calm while your teen is driving, and focus on constructive methods to focus on their driving more efficiently. You do not want your teens to stop listening, so make your time together and your lessons positive, with specific goals for each driving lesson.
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.
Follow these proactive strategies and help your teenagers (and you) become safer, smarter drivers. The Crashproof Plan will prepare them to face any kind of driving situation that they may encounter when driving a car. 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 teenager crash proofing strategies from Timothy C. Smith listen to his entire enlightening interview with Randy Gilbert host of The Inside Success Show for FREE!
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