Every parent enjoys a sense of pride when their teen passes their road test. However, you may also have some nervousness about their safety as they brave the road alone. To keep your young driver safe, it pays to learn about their potential risks so you can turn them into teaching moments during driving instruction.

What Causes Accidents Among Young Drivers?

1. Smartphones

While any communication can be distracting, texting while driving requires the eyes, hands, and full attention of young drivers. However, texting is just the tip of the iceberg. Today’s teens are also often active on multiple social media sites, where they can post updates remotely. This makes smartphones one of the top distractions for young drivers. Encourage your child to keep their phone away when they’re driving, and remind them of the dangers involved.

2. Passengers

As soon as your teen has a license, they’ll be eager to drive their friends around, enjoying their newfound freedom. However, younger passengers can make for a much livelier trip, full of loud music, conversations, and suggestions for detours. In an attempt to interact with their friends and keep up with their requests, your teen may be too overwhelmed to notice obstacles ahead. It may be best to limit the number of passengers they’re allowed to drive until they become more comfortable on the road.

3. Unfamiliarity

Many young drivers spend a year or two practicing before receiving licenses. However, they won’t be as familiar with local driving rules as others on the road, and their reaction times will be slower. To be a safe and defensive driver, they’ll need to know how to make smart decisions in a split second. While this knowledge may come naturally with time, further driving instruction can lower your teen’s risk of getting into an accident right away.

Your child deserves to enjoy their first years behind the wheel, and Morgan School of Driving is committed to making that happen. They offer driving instruction for students in Rochester, Greece, and Fairport, NY, as well as a convenient home pickup service. With their dual-control cars and comprehensive lessons, your teen will finish their courses as a confident, defensive driver. To learn more about their offerings, visit their website. You can also call (585) 425-2410 to ask about their scheduling options.