91 results found for Driver's License, Driving, and Use of the Family Car.
In areas which have teen curfews, auto crashes have been reduced by as much as 69 percent during restricted hours.
Every parent wonders, “So what can I do to make my teen a better driver?”
Are you terrified by the thought of your 16-year-old behind the wheel?
You're right to be nervous. According to the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among young people ages 15 to 27. Teen drivers are at risk for collisions because of their inexperience and immaturity.
The Statistics are Alarming
It may be tempting for parents to allow their newly licensed teens to drive themselves to their friends' houses or pick up a few things at the grocery. After all, they are actually eager to do the chores parents have grumbled about for years. But before they sit back and leave the driving to their kids, parents need to be aware of some disturbing statistics regarding teen drivers.
If you’re anything like me, you still remember how nerve-wracking learning to drive was. Now with 25+ years of experience, I can do it on autopilot most days, but with a 16-year-old looming in my near future, thoughts of teen drivers, promoting safe driving, and having a multi-car policy again are ever-present.
What to Do and What to Expect
Teaching your teen to drive requires considerable patience, empathy, and the knowledge of what is needed to best prepare her to become a skilled, responsible driver. Many parents understandably approach this taskwith trepidation and high anxiety. The following suggestions, facts, and tips will help you know what to doand what to expect when you and your teen put the rubber to the road.
Ride-sharing services that are easily accessible from phone apps such as Uber and Lyft do not allow anyone under age 18 to use them—but it’s not like the driver checks your ID and teens (and honestly, even some parents) can find loopholes in the system, allowing their under 18 kids to ride around in a car, alone, with a driver from the ride-share app. (These companies insist their drivers go through a rigorous screening process.)
Insurance companies figure that drivers between 16 and 24 are most at risk for accidents. Insurance rates for that age group reflect the industry's feelings.
Those of us who own cars understand that buying one is just the beginning of the strain that a vehicle can place on your pocketbook. Most teenagers understand that it takes significant money to buy a car, but are uninformed about the continuing costs.
A considerate driver is a safer, as well as a more appreciated, driver. Cars are so much a part of our everyday lives that we take them for granted and usually forget that driving manners cannot be separated from safety.
A back seat driver is really getting on your nerves. What do you say? “You know, your comments are really interfering with my concentration. Can you hold off until the car is stopped?”
Here are general tips that should be helpful for drivers and passengers:
A depreciating asset is one that grows to be worth less over time. Unlike a work of art or real estate that can grow in value, a car (other than certain antique or specialty cars) is almost certainly guaranteed to be worth less over time than on the day it was bought.
Among the most dreaded of parenting experiences—right up there with potty training and your child’s first day of school—is teaching your teenager to drive. But as much as you may want to deny that your son or daughter is old enough to reach the pedals, let alone get a license, it’s important that you recognize the essential role you play in their driving education.
It always seems that every bar in town has something special going on for St. Patrick's Day. This year, instead of limiting your fun to one spot, check out several by hosting a progressive party.
Once your teen is driving regularly, you may find that all the drivers in your family are jockeying for use of the car. Here are some of the questions and rules you'll want to review as a family so that these issues are settled fairly:
We trust our babysitters to feed our kids,, rock them to sleep, and tend to boo-boos, but asking a babysitter to drive our little ones to soccer practice, library time, or music class requires another level of trust. Before handing the keys to the babysitter or nanny, take these steps to ensure your child is safe and your peace of mind is intact.
Consider joining an auto club, which will provide your teen with an automatic “road support” system in case of emergency. If you join, be sure your teen has a membership card which lists the 800 number. Also consider giving your teen a gasoline credit card (only for use in emergencies).
For teens, driving represents independence and the freedom to explore the world on their own terms. For parents of teen drivers, having a child behind the wheel can be a source of tremendous anxiety.
Remember driver's ed from those days of yore? The essentials you learned have likely carried over into your everyday adult life—executing a three-point turn, parallel parking, and knowing who has the right of way at a four-way stop. But, what about those behind-the-wheel scenarios they don’t teach you?
In a national survey conducted recently by the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research and the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 50,000 student in grades 8, 10, and 12 were interviewed on their drinking habits. Here's what they said:
Brought to you in partnership with American School Counselor Association.
Pack an Activity Bag
Regardless of whether you decide to buy or lease a car, you need to consider the value of the car you're getting and what you can realistically afford. Sure, you might be able to borrow $20,000 or $25,000 to buy that Toyota Camry, complete with all the op-tions, but why would you? If you want a new car, look at everything available.
It’s the time of year when many working parents are turning to babysitters and nannies to help them with childcare. It’s not easy to entrust your children to someone else’s care no matter how old they are. We’ve gathered the interview questions that every parent should ask a babysitter before hiring them to make the process easier for you.
"I Don't Know"
On Monday Dec. 6, 1999, a 7th grader at a middle school in Fort Gibson, Oklahoma walked up to a group of classmates waiting for the morning bell and allegedly opened fire with a 9mm semiautomatic handgun, wounding four classmates. When asked by a sheriff's deputy why he did it, the unidentified 13 year-old reportedly answered, "I don't know."
Some insurance companies now offer wedding insurance, just in case the caterer decides to file for bankruptcy and go out of business two days before the event, or somebody steals all the wedding gifts. You even can buy insurance that pays you if it rains or snows on the day of the wedding. Check out Weddinguard at www.weddinguard.com for an example of what's available.
Fear is very persuasive. It can make even the most unlikely scenarios seem like certainties. When frightened, most children do not even consider the other ways in which a given situation could work out because they remain fixated on the fearful outcome. In reality, every event—good or bad—depends on a whole sequence of other events taking place first.
Close to 1,000 child pedestrians ages 14 and under die each year as a result of being hit by motor vehicles on streets and in parking lots and driveways. Pedestrian injury is a leading cause of unintentional deaths in children ages 5 to 9. This is one reason we think children under age 10 aren't ready to deal with traffic. More boys are hit than girls. Their upbringing may make boys bolder about taking risks.
