Parenting :: Tips for Parents of First-Time Teen Drivers

It is the day that every teen dreams about and every parent dreads. It typically starts with your teen slipping enthusiastically behind the wheel of your car and often ends with your heart beating wildly in your chest after enduring a grueling and often jerky ride. It is the first day that your teen can drive. It also happens to be one of the best times to set some rules and expectations for your child’s future use of the car.

Set Expectations

It is important to stress to your teen that driving a car is not a right, but a privilege that she earns by obeying the laws of the road and the rules of your household. Every family is going to have a different set of expectations, so clarify up front what is expected of your teen if she hopes to continue to have driving privileges. For example, a punchlist could read like this:

1. Keep the car clean.
2. Obey all curfew and passenger limit restrictions for your area.
3. Never text and drive.
4. Never talk on the cell phone and drive.
5. Do your chores.

Once you let your teen know what you expect of her, let her also know what the consequences for breaking the rules will be. For instance, if she were to fail to keep the car clean, she would then be restricted from driving again until she washed and vacuumed the vehicle. If she were to get caught texting and driving, she should expect to be grounded from the car for at least a month. Let her know that this is for her own safety because over 20 percent of car accidents involve cell phone usage, according to Textinganddrivingsafety.com.

Encourage Financial Participation

Owning and operating an automobile is expensive, and your teen needs to understand that the costs go far beyond simply paying for gas. While most teens today cannot afford to pay for a car, insurance, gas and maintenance costs on their own, it is always best to ask them to make some financial contribution toward the running of the vehicle they hope to drive.

Plus, a teen who works to help pay for his own gas will typically be better about not wasting gas on needless trips or joy rides. Teens that help pay for their own car insurance will also understand the value of being a good driver if they should get a ticket and see their car insurance rates go up.

Check Out Car Insurance

Speaking of car insurance, this is the best time for you to speak with your auto insurance agent to see what discounts you can get for your new driver. Many agencies offer discounts for teens that can provide proof of good grades. Some will also offer discounts to drivers who have voluntarily taken driver education courses. Your child may also qualify for a discount if he installs a device on his car that will monitor the number of miles that he drives per year. In addition, after speaking with your agent, you may learn that the old sports car you were letting your teen drive could actually cost you more to insure than if you were to purchase him a used economy car.

About the Author:

Candace Baumgardner: Candace is a mom of three and a computer software engineer. She writes about tech trends from her home in Seattle, which enables her to spend more time with her kids.

Flickr photo: State Farm