There comes a time in every parent’s life when they hear those dreaded words coming from their newly-licensed teen’s mouth – “Can I borrow the car?” While your young driver has passed their written and their driving tests, there are still many things they need to learn in order to drive safely, particularly on the highway. Though some things just come with experience, many lessons can be taught through conversations with your new driver. A good place to start is with SNAPS – Seatbelts, No cell phone, Aware and alert, Passing trucks and cars safely, Snow and ice driving.
- SEATBELTS – For this generation of teen drivers, seatbelts are the norm. They started out in car seat, then booster seats, and then finally graduated to seatbelts. However, even though it is something they are used to, many teens stop using their seatbelts once they start driving on their own. Parents should set a good example by wearing their seatbelts when they are a driver or a passenger in a vehicle. Young drivers need to know that, all things being equal, they are safer wearing a seatbelt during an accident than not. Should the concern of being trapped come up, there are tools that can be bolted into the car that will cut the seatbelt and break a window if, after an accident, one needs to get out quickly.
- NO CELL PHONE – No texting, no talking, no messing around with a cell phone for any reason while driving. Better yet, cell phones should stay in a purse or backpack. Or in the backseat. Or in the trunk. Anywhere but in the hands of the driver. Cell phones are distracting and dangerous for adult to use while driving; for teens, it is more so, on both counts. While cell phones provide the ability to call for help if needed, they should only be used when the car is parked and turned off.
- AWARE AND ALERT – Just like with the seatbelt message, this generation of teen drivers has grown up knowing that impaired driving is dangerous and wrong. However, they don’t know that tired driving is just as dangerous as drunk driving. In many states, teens are restricted from driving during certain hours of the night. Teens need to be encouraged to not drive when they are extremely tired. They also need to be told that regardless of how much coffee or energy drinks they consume, they still are not as alert and aware as they would be if they were well rested.
- PASSING TRUCKS AND CARS SAFELY – Young drivers must understand and be able to judge assured passing distance with other cars. They need to be taught to make smooth lane changes, always check their blind spot, and use their signals before they begin to change lanes. One thing teen drivers aren’t completely sure about is passing trucks. The best rule to teach young drivers is that if you can’t see the truck’s side mirrors, they can’t see you. This will keep teens from following too closely behind a truck. Trucks should be passed with attention to the fact that, in order to merge back in front of the truck, there must be more space left than with a car. Teen drivers must be taught that trucks need more time to stop, regardless of the reaction time of the driver. While young drivers shouldn’t be afraid of passing trucks or sharing the road with them, they need to have a healthy respect of trucks and be careful when passing them.
- SNOW AND ICE DRIVING – Learning to drive on snow and ice is something that comes with experience. Young drivers should be encouraged to drive slowly and cautiously when roads are snowy or icy. It is important that teens know how to spot black ice and to steer into a spin-out, not out of it. As with all drivers, teens should not be out in treacherous driving conditions. Finally, parents need to show their teen drivers how to care for a car during winter, such as using jumper cables, having emergency supplies in the trunk, and keeping all fluid topped off.
Young drivers are still significantly more likely to get into an accident due to inexperience and distracted driving. Parents should have several brief, yet thorough, conversations with their teen drivers about driving safely. Framing lessons in acronyms, such as SNAPS, makes the information easier to remember which, in an emergency situation, could save your teen driver’s life.
Joe Fernandez focuses on the mining and resource sector, providing valuable insight into companies that produce mining equipment such as mining pumps and light towers.
