Is Your Kid Ready to Take the Wheel?
For most parents, handing over the keys to their teen driver is an experience fraught with anxiety, excitement, and stone-cold fear. Even though the law says their teen is legally responsible to drive, parents can’t help but think, “Really? My kid is ready to drive?!”
Well, that answer could be a definite maybe. Just because kids have reached that milestone age of driver licensehood doesn’t mean that they are really ready to take the wheel.
But, how do parents know when their teens are ready to hit the open road on their own?
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According to theAllstateBlog writer Brendan O’Neill, the first sign that a teen is ready to handle the demands of driving is that he or she has successfully finished a graduated driver-licensing (GDL) program that includes a supervised learner’s period, passing a road test to earn a limited intermediate license, and finally, fulfilling the requirements to earn a full-privileged driver’s license.
Another sign that parents should look for to determine if their teens are ready to drive according to Jessica Bosari, Forbes.com contributing writer, is sound-decision making skills; if a teen stays out of hot water in school or with peers and respects the rules at home, he or she is probably ready to handle the demands of driving alone.
Bosari also considers teens who stand up to their friends’ negative influences and act responsibly by doing chores, maintaining a part-time job, or taking part in school activities are on the right road to becoming responsible and safe drivers.
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A commitment to safe driving, an understanding of “good” (able to maneuver a vehicle at top speed) vs. “safe” (obeying the rules of the road) driving, and the practice of keeping their cellphones out of hand and out of sight when they drive are also necessary signs that teens are ready to command the driver’s seat, according to theAllstateBlog.
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