We were out running errands a few weeks ago, and my son announced, “Just think, Mom, in another year, I’ll be driving.” Full stop. WHAT? My heart wasn’t ready for that. It did, however, get me to thinking. What do we need to do to start planning for driver’s licenses and all of that other fun stuff that will be coming in a one-two punch as my oldest two approach driving age. This made me start to think about how we should be preparing for this major milestone. As I process the comet like speed with which my children are growing, I’ve come up with a list of things to consider before your teen starts driving.
Things to consider before your teen starts driving
By preparing before your teen starts driving you are able to look for ways to help make driving safer for your teen and even find ways to help save money.
Insurance Costs
The biggest thing you need to consider when your teen is ready to drive is how this will affect your car insurance. Adding a new driver to your car insurance is a big decision, and teens have a very high insurance rate. According to NHTSA, studies show teens are involved in crashes as a result of inexperience and risk-taking. You should expect to see a large jump in your insurance rate when your teen is ready to drive. You need to know if the jump can fit into your budget. Find out about discounts your insurance may offer and consider shopping around for a new insurance plan to help lower this cost.
The Car Your Teen Will Use
When it is time for your teen to start driving it doesn’t take long before you realize that this could create some issues with your family’s car situation. Do you have a car that your teen can use that will not break the bank if there is an accident? Is there room in your family’s schedule to allow them to use a car you already have for your home?
For some families making do with what you already have is easy. For others looking for a used beater car is the best option for starting their teen out. This allows you to let your teen drive without worrying about the cost of little fender benders with trash cans and such while they are learning things like parallel parking in front of the house.
Insuring a cheap junker for your teen and not placing them as a driver on your family’s nicer cars is one way you may be able to help keep your insurance costs down as well making it a good option to consider.
Licensing Laws for Your State
Each state has its own laws for the process involved in getting your license. You need to be up to date on this in your area. This will help you make choices like when your teen can start working on getting their licenses and what they need to complete the process.
How Your Teen Will Learn How to Drive
Many families do not think about how their teen is learning to drive but this is very important. While you can put your teen in a drivers ed course they will still need to put in more hours with a licensed driver. This is where you need to decide who will be the one to teach them. Every family is different and not every member of the family has the patience to take on a task like teaching a teen how to drive. My Dad taught me to drive.
Enrolling your teen in a driver safety course
While Driver’s Education classes can be a great option you should consider other classes your teen can take to help them be better drivers. Look around your area for a defensive driving or driver’s safety course. These programs often can help get you a discount on your car insurance as an added bonus of knowing that your child has the skills needed to deal with other drivers on the road. Our local homeschool co-op partners with a safe driving instructor for classes, and we WILL be checking into it.
What Will Your Rules Be
While your teen has to follow the rules of the road when driving you need to discuss with your partner and your teen what your driving rules will be. Setting expectations like not having extra friends in the car and curfews before they come up in a real-life situation can help keep your family from having problems because your teen didn’t know that something would upset you. Talk these things over with your partner and then sit down with your teen so they know what the expectations are.
Consider Tracking Your Teen
Programs like Life360 can go on your teen’s phone allowing you to track where your teen is going. This can even give you reports on things like hard braking and how many times your teen touches their phone while driving. The app can even notify you if your teen is in a crash and call for emergency services.
Is your child showing the necessary maturity?
Being able to drive is a big responsibility and it is best to avoid letting your child drive before they show the needed maturity. This is something that both parents should discuss to make sure everyone is on the same page when it comes to your child’s maturity level. Some teens are not ready with their own maturity level when they are legally old enough to drive. You as the parent have to be the one to decide.
