7 Pointers to Give Your Kids before They Drive ...

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It’s a hard habit to break. Kids are always fiddling with the radio or CD player in the car. This is fine when they aren’t the ones driving. I’m definitely all about keeping both hands on the wheel and teaching my kids the same tactics as well. Once they become more experienced drivers, turning the radio dial won’t be such a big deal and can be done so safely.

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I see too many people swerving into my lane as they are talking on their cell phone. I once watched a television program where people had to drive through an obstacle course while they talked on their cell phone. Everyone who participated in this experiment made mistakes on the obstacle course. Thankfully it was a closed course and just an experiment. I always wonder how many daily accidents are caused by cell phone usage while driving.

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Most people have kicked the habit of picking up strangers on the side of the road, no matter how helpless they seem to be. I won’t even pick up people that I see walking along the road where I live and my community consists of local farmers that have been here for generation upon generation. If I actually recognize the individual, then I will give him a ride. There are very few times that I even spot a hitchhiker at all, which I’m thankful for.

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New drivers don’t often know the sound of a flat tire. It’s very easy for a low tire to quickly become a flat tire in a matter of minutes. There has been a few times when I pulled over to check and see if my tires had air in them, just because there was an odd sound coming from under my car. I make sure there is a tire gauge in the car and that my kids know how to read it as well.

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Being able to see out of the mirrors can’t be stressed enough. Many new drivers think that as long as they can see out of the windshield, that all is good. Have your kids practice backing up a few times and only using their side mirrors to do so. Once they realize just how useful these mirrors are, they will be more inclined to make sure they are positioned correctly each time they get into the vehicle.

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I might just be paranoid, but I like to have no less than half a tank of gas in my car. As soon as it drops below this, I’m off to the gas station. I tell my kids to be aware of how much fuel they have each time they get ready to drive. If they are going to the next town, then stopping by the gas station and topping off the tank is a good idea. I’ve never been stuck on the side of the road without a way to get fuel and I hope my kids never end up in that situation either.

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I’m constantly reminding my kids to wear their seatbelts and to make sure that all their friends also have them fastened. So many of their friends think that it’s not ‘cool’ to wear a seatbelt, but I remind my kids that they won’t be too ‘cool’ if they fly out of the windshield either. We live in an area where deer are always jumping out in front of cars. Many human lives have been saved by the simple action of buckling a seatbelt.

I’m sure many of these 7 pointers to give your kids before they drive have already been uttered in your household; numerous times. I try not to be too much of a pest to my kids, but their safety has always been my main concern in life. Do you have any pointers that you have given to your kids in the past, when it came to driving? How did they respond to your advice?

Top Photo Credit: AndWhyNot