The day has finally come and your baby is learning how to drive their first car. They're more excited than can be expressed, while you ... you're terrified! Driving is a rite of passage for many teenagers, especially now that school is starting up, there's nothing greater than getting to skip the school bus. As a parent, you want to teach them appropriate driving safety, though, because this is even more important than teaching them how to color within the lines.
At Bledsoe's Towing, we care just as much about your teenager out on the road as you, if not more so. We're one of the first called to the scene of an accident because we offer
24-hour towing at the Lake of the Ozarks, and we don't like to see your young adult involved in those types of fender benders. Here are a few things to remember as your teaching your teenager how to drive.
Be The Parent With the Plan
There are driving teaching plans out there which can give you the guidance you may need to get started. According to the
NPR, the driving plan teaching students and parents alike how to navigate and teach situations that will be likely on the road. After all, let's face it, while you may not be a professional teacher or driver, you are a professional parent who cares about the safety of their child. A study was done to show that when taking a driving test after studying from a driving program, they were 65% more likely to pass their test. If you aren't sure where to start, start by following a plan.
Don't Just Play It Safe
While we do suggest playing it safe while on the road, we don't suggest only keeping your child in the large empty parking lot. You do need to start in the empty parking lot at first to gain necessary skills in stopping, gaining speed, finding their turn signals and windshield wipers, but at some point, you'll want to get out on the open road. While it's tempting to only pick times of the day that are not as busy, and you will want to start out there, as your child gets better control, start challenging them while they are in the safety of your care instead of out on the road alone. Try driving in bad weather, merging onto busy traffic, driving through rush hour traffic, and even driving in varied weather situations.
Surprise Obstacles
At some point, while driving down the backwoods of the Ozarks, your child is likely to stumble upon a possum, skunk, raccoon, armadillo, turkey, vulture, squirrel, or even deer. These can be alarming to find while driving, and obviously, they won't want to hit it, but you should talk ahead of time about the important of not swerving. In many cases, the animals do get out of the way in time or even backtrack in time without you even having to adjust your speed. Teach them that slamming their brakes or swerving can cause them to end up in the ditch, or worse, rolling down one of those large hills that the Ozarks are known for.
"Donut" Forget to Skid
While you can't actually put your child in a harmful situation where they have to learn how to regain control of their vehicle while skidding to a stop, you can practice skidding. Doing donuts in an empty parking lot will help them become familiar with the effects of skidding on their vehicle, and how to regain control of the vehicle once that happens. Sometimes the best reaction in a situation is a muscle memory reaction after hours of practice. Take them out on rainy days, hot days, and snowy days so they can get a feel for the road in many different situations.
Finally, Hug It Out In the End
If you think back to your driving days, like many of us, it possibly ended in tears or anger. This is a growing process for both of you, but don't ever forget to hug it out. Just like the millions of people who have learned how to safely drive and navigate the roads, your child will as well. Give them plenty of affirmation when they do a good job, and when they don't do a good job, try to calmly teach them a better way to handle it.
As your child learns to drive, we can honestly say that our tow truck doesn't ever want to see them - and definitely not know them on a first-name basis! However, most likely, there will be a small fender bender in your child's future, and when it happens, call the team you can trust. At
Bledsoe's Towing, we are available 24 hours a day, and when you need us, we're just a phone call away.
Serving the Lake of the Ozark with all towing at automotive
needs - big or small!
322 South Business Route 5
Camdenton, Missouri 65020
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