There are a lot of great things about letting your teen hit the road alone. Not only does it provide them with a sense of freedom and it allows them to practice independence, it can make your life a lot easier too. If your child is able to drive themselves to school and practice, you don’t have to!
However, letting your teen behind the wheel without any supervision can also be scary. You don’t want your child to get in an accident because you let them drive on their own too soon.
The question is, how do you know if your teen is ready to grab the keys and hit the road without you in the passenger’s seat?
They Know the Rules of the Road
Knowing the facts is a good first step to being a safe driver. Before you let your child out on the road alone, you have to make sure your child knows what is expected every time they get behind the wheel. That means they know the laws where you live.
There are other things they should know too. For example, they should know what they should do if their car breaks down, and they should know what they need to do in the event of an accident.
If you’re worried if your teen really knows the rules of the road, study driver’s ed materials or take practice tests together online.
They Manage Their Own Responsibilities Well
There’s nothing wrong with helping your child with their homework, but if they can’t seem to get their homework done without your help, it might be a sign that they aren’t ready to handle the responsibility of driving on the road alone.
Does your child remember when they have practice? Are they able to plan ahead to study for a big test that’s coming up? These are important questions you need to ask before you allow your child to hit the road without anyone to supervise their driving. If the answer is no, and you’re tired of reminding them to take out the garbage because they never seem to remember, it’s a good idea to continue driving with them, at least for the time being.
They Don’t Cave Easily to Peer Pressure
As soon as you release your teen to drive on their own, you can bet that their friends will be involved. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing! It can be a great experience for your teen to carpool back and forth to school with friends, but if they have a hard time saying no, it may not be such a good idea.
Peer pressure is something every teen has to deal with. If your child regularly caves to requests, you shouldn’t let them drive on their own just yet. You don’t want them to allow people in the car they are uncomfortable with or drive in an unsafe manner just because someone they’re giving a ride to asked.
They Follow Rules Well
You don’t want to hand your teen the keys to the car and let them go without making sure they are aware of your rules and expectations. Discuss them with your child and make sure they are clear.
A few driving rules you may want to have in your home include:
- No talking or texting while driving
- Always call if you’re going to be late
- Always wear a seatbelt
- Parents should always know who you’re with
Does your child have trouble following other rules in your home? If so, they may not be ready to follow your driving rules, which means they aren’t ready to drive.
They Are Excited to Drive
It’s important to know if your teen is excited to drive! Surprisingly, one in four teens is too scared to drive, and if they are scared behind the wheel, their confidence will suffer, and they are more likely to find themselves in an accident.
Only allow your teen to drive on their own if they are excited about it and they feel confident about it. If your teen still feels nervous or uneasy, it’s okay to continue driving with them until they are able to build up their confidence.
Just because your teen is old enough to drive doesn’t mean they are ready to get behind the wheel without supervision! If your teen checks off all the signs on this list, you can feel confident that they’re ready to be a safe driver, even if you aren’t there.
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