Drivers Seat June 2020 Part 2

Whether your teen should drive during vacation is a tough decision that most parents face. Depending on whether your teen would be driving a rental car or the family car only complicates the decision, unless the rental car insurance excludes teen driver.

I am a proponent of helping your teen get as much experience as possible behind the wheel with a calm and competent parent. You need to carefully choose the best times for your teen and you to drive in a new location. If this experience is further complicated by driving an unfamiliar vehicle, you need to be very selective about the times your teen drives.

If your teen is the only child on the trip, and both parents have ridden with him frequently and calmly in the past, then you should map out the areas on the journey that you think would help him gain valuable experience. If your teen is one of several children that are in the car, I would restrict his driving to times when short trips with a parent are possible.

Most vehicles now have a GPS or your teen may be accustomed to using his phone for instructions. At least one parent should be monitoring these instructions as well since, in an unfamiliar setting, your teen may turn sooner than appropriate.

I believe the safest approach is for a parent who is familiar with the route they plan to take to be in the passenger seat and preparing your teen for the next turn by giving him adequate notice to adjust both his position and speed. This parent should stay off of their cell phone (except for directions) so that they are not distracted and giving directions at the last minute.

Driving in unfamiliar areas can cause you to inadvertently speed; so help your teen watch for changes in speed limits and other conditions that may be unfamiliar to him. Don’t ever ask your teen to drive when you are in a hurry to get to your destination. This will cause both of you to be overly stressed and not make good decisions.

I wish you a fun and safe vacation and summer!