Teens live busy lives, and yours may be tempted to text, put on makeup, or eat while driving. Called distracted driving, this habit results in countless collisions each year. Discussing the topic with your teen is an integral part of drivers education. Below are several tips to help you start a conversation and prevent the problem.

How to Talk With Your Teen About Distracted Driving

1. Share the Facts

Data can put distracted driving into perspective. Explain that they’re two to four times more likely to get into an accident when texting, talking on the phone, or focusing on anything other than driving. This issue is responsible for 10% of fatal crashes and 15% of injury crashes each year, and over 50% of teen crashes.

These sobering stats aren’t meant to scare your teen; instead, use them to show how real and prevalent the problem is.

2. Establish Rules & Consequences

Explain the three types of distracted driving—manual, visual, and cognitive—and base rules off of them. Have your teen put their phone in the glove box. Even talking on the phone with a hands-free device is distracting, which is why the phone is best kept out of sight.

Be ready to enforce punishments if your teen breaks these rules. Take away their driving privileges for a period or force them to leave their phone at home. Many parents don’t let their children drive with passengers or pets until they’ve proven they won’t be a distraction.

3. Be a Good Example

Your teen will adopt many of their driving habits from you. Make sure you’re a positive role model. Put your phone away, or, if you must use it, have the passenger make a call.

Don’t smoke in the car, look for items in a purse or bag, or fiddle with the climate control unless you’re stopped. You may also want to enroll your child in advanced drivers education courses to improve their skills.

If you’re looking for drivers education for your teen, contact Sure-Drive Driver's Training. Serving Edgewood and Villa Hills, KY, these professionals are committed to ensuring drivers have all the tools they need to hit the road safely. They provide teen driving classes, general drivers ed, and more with highly trained instructors. Call (859) 331-0007 to enroll your teen in driving lessons and visit their website to learn more about their services.