After a long school year of studying, writing papers, taking exams and walking to and from classes on campus, your college student is probably excited for a relaxing summer. They might also be looking forward to getting back behind the wheel of a car, ready to hit the road for a summer internship, part-time job, or to drive over to a friend’s house.
Since it’s probably been several months since your teen has driven a car, it’s important to take a few moments and refresh their memory with some safe driving tips to keep in mind while driving this summer.
A Safe Driving Refresher for Your College Student
The summer months are a notoriously dangerous time of year for young drivers. Remind your teen about the basics of safe driving before handing over the keys, including:
- Avoid distracted driving. According to the CDC, drivers in their 20s make up 27% of all distracted drivers involved in fatal crashes. Remind them about the importance of focusing on solely on the road; no texting, snacking, applying makeup, or fiddling with mp3 players.
- Take your time. More cars on the road over the summer can mean more possibilities for accidents. Remind your student to allow for plenty of time to get where they need to be so there’s no rushing around.
- Watch your speed. The majority of accidents today are caused by excessive speed or aggressive driving. Drive slowly through neighborhoods with children playing in the yards and back up slowly out of driveways and parking spots.
- Keep the weather in mind. In the summer you may not need to worry about icy roads or blowing snow, but you should still be prepared for any type of summer weather, like thunderstorms or bright sunlight. Headlights should always be used in the rain, and keep a spare set of sunglasses in the car at all times.
- Follow the rules of the road. The most basic of safe driving tips is simply to follow the rules; adhere to road signs, follow other cars at a safe distance, and never drive while impaired- or get in the car with someone who is.
Drive Team offers teen driving classes to teach young drivers how to be safe, confident and conscientious while behind the wheel. Contact us today for more information.
I like that one of your tips is to make sure that you take your time. Takes does seem like it would help you develop better driving habits. That is definitely something you want to make sure that driving schools stress.
I’m constantly trying to remind my daughter that she doesn’t need to speed down the rode, she’s always in a hurry. My husband suggested that we have her take a few driving classes, and I think that’d very useful. I’ll just have to start looking online for professionals that teach driving courses.