It’s happened! There’s a new driver in the house. In the blink of an eye, my daughter went and did the craziest thing, she grew up. Honestly, it feels like just last week I was helping her put her hair up in pig tails for a gymnastics competition, and now….she’s asking for the car keys? I find myself with a lump in my throat, a small ache in my heart as I realize I’m in the same boat as so many other parents of teens. Like it or not, we have new drivers in our house. With warm weather and clearer conditions, driving tests have been passed, and we are in the midst of setting our “babies” free on the open road with a tiny piece of plastic that says they are indeed ready to take this big step. Gulp.
It’s time to give them a bit more freedom, but not until we are sure they’re prepared! So just how does a level-headed Mama in the suburbs ensure her daughter is truly road-ready? Well, with an almighty list of course! One of the most exciting moments in a teenager’s life is when they get that driver’s licence. They’re anxious to hit the road and explore the world. It’s our job to make sure they are truly prepared. Here are my tips to help your teen hit the road safely:
- Be a good role model-– believe it or not, our young drivers will take cues and driving habits from us! We’re who they observe driving the most.
- Practice. Practice. Practice. Once they have that first step, here in Ontario, it’s called a G1 level license and you cannot have them practice enough. It helps both of you get more comfortable.
- Chat with them about safe driving habits. Be sure to drive home that texting and driving is never okay: it could mean the difference between life and death, and should be taken as seriously as drinking and driving.
- Enroll them in a Drivers’ Education Program.
- Follow the rules that are associated with the G1 License including: Ensuring all passengers wear a functioning seatbelt, and that the number of passengers does not exceed the seatbelts available. Don’t drive between the hours of midnight and 5:00 a.m.
- Educate your young driver about changing road conditions. In Canada roads can go from ideal to scary in a flash. Remember that driving in bad weather takes extra experience and practice.
- Have appropriate insurance for your young driver. A Broker, such as those provided by PC® auto insurance, can help determine your unique needs in order to ensure you have the right family coverage AND get any discounts you may be eligible for such as if your young driver is taking a driving course. Insider Tip: You earn 2X the regular PC® points when you pay your PC® auto insurance premium with your President’s Choice Financial® MasterCard® or bank card.
- Have an emergency car kit in every vehicle. Car kits may include things like; a cell phone charger, flashlight, blanket, basic first aid supplies, a bottle of water, energy bars, ice scraper, shovel and jumper cables.
Before you set your teen out on the road, have a heart to heart. Remind your young driver that driving is a privilege and not a right. Encourage them to be the smart, level-headed, safe driver that they are, to enjoy the experience and have fun. Good luck to all the parents out there, you’ve got this.
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post on behalf of PC® insurance. The opinions on this blog are my own.
Thanks for the great tips.
Having a car emergency kit is a necessity! Also, it is important to practice driving in snow and ice.
oh boy reading this post just got me thinking about the future. thankfully I wont have to deal with this for awhile yet but still time goes by so fast and my girls will be ready to drive before I know it
Greta tips, mines still too young but as you say, blink and suddenly they’re driving!
Lots of great tips I have two that will be driving. Gotta be safe on the roads
Great tips. My daughter had some driving lessens and some help from her Dad, but she ended up writing off one of our vehicles on icy roads. Thanks God no one was hurt. Our son went to a driving school for all of his lessons.
I’m so nervous about this! My firstborn is 3 years away from driving and I refuse to believe it.
Those are are all good tips. There are so many distracted drivers on the road, it’s so important to not text or talk on cellphones. Having insurance and lots of practice is also very important too.
Distracted drivers are so dangerous! Insurance and practise are both a must 🙂
Great post you’ve got great tips here. I remember my mother was a wreck when I started driving. Ahh, remember when and the good old days !
So happy to hear you liked my tips! Thanks.
MY NIECE HAS HER (BEGINNERS) AS WE USE TO CALL IT, MY SISTER MUST HAVE NERVES OF STEEL
We used to call it a beginners too! And sometimes those nerves of steel do come in handy! LOL
My brother went to driving school and it helped him out in so many ways, including insurance.
Love that there is a reward for having gone to drivers school. I recommend it to everyone.
Good tips, I helped 4 of my 7 with their driving skills – bit nerve wracking but it really went well. All of them had some sort of driving lessons from a school and that helped a lot. I always stressed on mine to stick to the speed limit (fines are so expensive I told them) and to do a proper stop at a stop sign, I still count 21 & 22 just to make sure. Again I told them rolling stop is terribly expensive. I can’t believe how many idiots I see on the roads speeding, dashing through red lights, driving on somebody’s bumper, using their cell phones etc etc. It’s a big worry at first when kids go out driving on their own but mostly it works out fine.
You helped 4 of your 7? Cue the applause!
It is a big worry at first but if we teach them well it really is such a wonderful experience.
All great tips, I remember when my oldest got her beginners, I was so scared for her to be driving, and then when she got her G1 I was really scared because she was out on her own, but now she has her G and I’m fine!!
It is so frightening to let our babes out into the world…with a car! Preparation is truly everything.
Great tips and from what I read about how your daughter reacted the other day you prepared her well!
Thanks so much Judy. I’m so thankful my daughter was well prepared, and even more thankful that little bump in the road was just that. A bump!
lots of great tips, especially when there are a lot of not so good drivers and distracted people (those staring at their phones instead of the traffic lights) out there. I took a defensive driving course and I found it helped me a lot, especially driving on slick (wet/ice) roads
A defensive driving course is a wonderful idea. It makes everyone on the road safer!