When your teenager first gets his or her driver’s license in California, it may make you a nervous wreck. After all, you have seen how other people drive. Not to mention how risky it is to be a new driver with no experience in handling traffic. However, this is a milestone that you cannot avoid. Your teen will have to get behind the wheel without you eventually, so you need to make sure he or she is ready.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration explains that you can do a variety of things to support your new teen driver while also helping to make him or her a better driver. Teaching your teen good skills and making sure you set the stage for responsibility behind the wheel is the best thing you can do. Here are some tips to help you do just that.
Keep practicing
Just because your teen can legally drive does not mean he or she has to drive alone. You should keep practicing driving skills with your child even after he or she has a license. This is a great way to ensure that your teen really solidifies his or her driving skills and learns important things that can keep him or her safe on the road.
Show good driving habits
It is essential that you be a good role model. When your teen is in the car with you, he or she is watching and learning from you. So, make sure you practice good driving skills. Put all the things you taught your child into use and show him or her how valuable those skills are.
Set rules and consequences
Even though your teen is a legal driver, he or she is still also a teenager. Young drivers sometimes make bad decisions. You need to be strict when it comes to making bad choices behind the wheel. Set rules about what he or she can and cannot do when driving. Then, set consequences for breaking the rules, and stick to them.
You are the best influence on your child once he or she starts to drive. So, put every effort into helping your teen be the best driver possible.
