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Effective Strategies Of Distracted Driving And Teenagers

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Distracted driving and teenagers make for a deadly combination, one that parents, car manufacturers, and legislators are well aware of. Lecturing your teenager on the merits of safe driving can fall on deaf ears. Thus, employing effective strategies for making safe driving ‘cool’ to your teenager is a must. Let’s take a look at five such strategies.

1. Know your teenager. How well do you know your teenager? Is he or she impulsive, irresponsible, and at times reckless? Be honest here: your teen’s behavior can make a difference on whether he is ready to drive or not. On the other hand, if she is responsible, caring, and thoughtful, then she’ll also heed your advice. Simply because your teen is eligible to begin driving doesn’t mean you must give your consent. Leverage his desire to drive to require maturity and responsibility on his part.

2. Set the example. If you have a good relationship with your son or daughter, then making safe driving “cool” will come naturally. Much of that cool factor will follow how you behave behind the wheel. If you’re considerate and generally composed while driving, you’ll display the type
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Demonstrate your skills. Following your teen’s stint behind the wheel, change places. You already have the ‘cool’ factor down pat if you’re teaching your child how to shift with a manual transmission. There’s something about “rowing your own” that brings out the fun in driving. But most cars come equipped with automatic transmissions and if you’re lucky can be operated in manual mode with the stick or paddle shifters used to move between the gears. Fun driving and safe driving are not mutually exclusive, so demonstrate your skills. Show how to safely, but confidently make your way down a highway entrance ramp and deftly merge with traffic. If you’re controlling gear shifts, have your teen watch and listen as the engine revs, demonstrating when to upshift as well as when to downshift. Imbue confidence in the young driver and he’ll be a safe
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