Crash Proof Your Teens: Safe Driving Techniques by Timothy Smith | Cars and Trucks

By DrProactive,RandyGilbert,ProducerofInsideSuccessRadio
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More than a few parents are justifiably concerned about passing the car keys over to their teenaged driver. More teenagers are killed every year in this country by cars than guns, drugs, alcohol, suicide and violent crimes combined.

If a parent does not recognize the importance of their own teaching role to insure the safe driving habits of their children, they are right to fear the worst. Unfortunately, many parents feel that driver education programs ought to be enough to teach their teen how to handle a vehicle and the rules of the road.

The reality is that in every state of the U.S., driver's ed programs only provide 1 to 6 hours of 'behind-the-wheel' time. That's hardly enough time to memorize, much less understand the laws and pass the driving exam. In order to competently handle a car in the most common of traffic situations, they should have at least 30 to 50 hours driving time. Only with this extra time, time with a parent or mentor, will they develop the actual skills required for the constant dangers of the real road.

Parents have the ultimate responsibility to ensure their teens are properly educate with the skills and behaviors required to be safe and smart drivers. Timothy Smith, author of Crash Proof Your Kids, Make Your Teen a Safer, Smarter Driver believes "Either underestimating their role and lacking effective methods parents are failing to equip their teenagers with the skills to handle the single most dangerous thing they will ever do in their life and at their most risky age."

After a rash of fatal car crashes in his neighborhood, all of which involved mistakes by teen drivers, Smith, a father of three teenagers, realized it was time to get involved in helping his own teenagers develop safe driving skills. When he tried to find information on the subject of safe driving, he found there was very little useful information available to teens and parents to take them well beyond basic driver's ed.

Smith, an award-winning author and trained race car driver decided to do further research and created a step by step plan designed to Radically reduce teen automobile crashes. Following the Crashproof Plan he developed will give your teenager the skills needed to be successful drivers and survive in all adverse driving situations.

Here are just a few ways you can save your kid's life:

Sit down with your teenager and discuss the process of learning to drive, and sign a Crashproof Contract that outlines the boundaries, establishing penalties and incentives for driving decisions and use of the car. Discuss all the issues and risks involved: speeding, road rage, drinking, drugs, distractions, cell phones, passengers, curfews, etc.

Your teen's participation in this process is the key to success. You must both agree to create a plan for your teen to safely assume the responsibility for use of a car. Remember, you're on their side but they need to understand driving is probably the single most dangerous thing they will ever do.

You're being watched! Your kids watch the way you drive every day and have been familiar with your driving habits for a long time. If you don't fasten your seat belt, don't expect your teen to. An important aspect of the plan is yourself, the parent, becoming a positive role model.

Follow the driving rules you learned when you were teen but that so many of us fail to use today; such as driving within the speed limit, using your turn signals, being a courteous driver, and never using a cell phone while driving. Don't forget that your children are always surveying your every move, learning from your behavior and imitating your own actions

Communicate with your children about becoming safer and smarter drivers. Take an approach that does not criticize your teen, but emphasizes the measures needed for driving safely. Remain calm while driving with your teen, and focus on constructive ways to focus on their driving more effectively. You don't want your teenagers to turn you off, so make your time together and your lessons positive, with specific goals for each driving session.

Start slow with simple exercises that reinforce safe driving habits. Try drills such as breaking in emergency situations, handling a car in inclement weather, night time driving, city streets and highway driving. Get your teen behind the wheel in every driving condition you can think of. Practice overcoming the specific challenges each driving situations presents.

Following these proactive strategies will help your teenagers (and you) become safer, smarter drivers. The Crashproof Plan will better equip them to face any type of driving situation they will encounter when behind the wheel of a car. You will sleep better knowing that you did your part in giving your teenagers the skills they need to return home to you every time they take out the car.

About the Author

For more teenager crash proofing ideas from Timothy C. Smith listen to his entire enlightening interview with Randy Gilbert host of The Inside Success Show for FREE!

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