CAN I please have the keys to the car, mummy/daddy?” Words that many parents dread to hear as it signals not only growing independence of a child but also the increased risk that comes with being a road user.
Recent media reports of accidents, some of them fatal, involving inexperienced teen drivers is only bound to increase this anxiety among parents.
Some have even resorted to banning their teenage kids from getting behind the wheel, which is not an ideal solution. Parents will need to face up to the fact that driving is an essential skill and one which their kids will be keen to learn.
Here are a few things parents
need to bear in mind while kids get to grips with commandeering heavy machinery.
It is not a phone
The new generation now expect everything to work in tandem with a smart phone. Parents need to let them know earlier on that it is not as easy as swiping a phone screen or asking artificial intelligence to perform a task.
Driving is a real skill, one that requires many hours of practice and constant vigilance just to avoid mishaps.
One of the best ways to emphasise this is to get teen drivers to learn with a manual transmission. Yes, a proper stick shift may put the fear of the divine in many teen drivers but that is certainly preferable to them meeting it in an untimely car crash.
Goes without saying, teen drivers who master the art of manual gear driving will be more alert to the road surroundings and to the actual vehicles themselves.
Get the right wheels
Most parents want to splurge on their offspring. Why not and what better way to show their love by getting them rides of their choosing, even if they are fast and furious machines. A big mistake as many young drivers lack the requisite experience to control such torque monsters.
Also, bear in mind, new fangled electric vehicles (EV) possess plenty of power, once the preserve of more exotic sports marques. These days, a so-called family sedan EV is capable of 0-100km/h sprints in under 10 seconds. That is certainly fast enough to cause serious damage, if not kill, and it is imperative parents make the right choice.
Safety, not speed, should be top of the requirements for newbie drivers. Useful driving aids and airbags should be the boxes to tick. As are powerful brakes, not a beast of a turbo. Stopping in time is far more important than instant acceleration.
Practice, practice, practice
The best thing a parent can do is to have the child go through countless hours of practice. Get a seasoned instructor with plenty of patience to tutor your kid. Time permitting, try to add that by taking your L driver on weekend drives. But that is only if your temperament permits it. Too many parents blow a gasket and put their children off driving completely.
Do not be in a rush to get your child to pass the driver’s test. In road matters, patience is a virtue and waiting a few extra months to get your child properly prepared would be a wise decision.
Digital policing
Perhaps, tough love can save life or two. With the advent of logisitical tracking devices, a parent can monitor the driving style of their kids from afar. These range from dash cams that capture entire journeys to apps that alert you whenever a speed limit is breached.
Hand out appropriate penalties such as driving bans or even fines
to reflect real world scenarios. Sometimes, tough love is the best way to get a message across and driving etiquette should be one area where that message is heard loud and clear.
Getting behind the wheel is a pivotal moment for your child. Do try to emphasise the need for safety first as not only are their lives at stake but other road users’ welfare is at stake as well.
