Teaching kids the rules of the road

Ask any parent who has been through it before and they'll tell you teenage drivers are overconfident. They are so excited about getting the privilege to drive; they often don't consider what can go wrong.

But teen driver safety should be at the forefront of their minds. Car crashes are the number one killer of the nation's teenagers. Each year, nearly 5,000 teens are killed in motor vehicle crashes and nearly 375,000 are injured.

To ensure your child does not become a statistic, it's imperative that you make sure they get some education before getting behind the wheel. Require your child to take a driver's education class at school or through a community education program. Such classes often include a hands-on driving component, but not always.

To make sure teenagers will get the education they need to become good drivers, many states have graduated driver's license (GDL) laws on the books, which place limits on drivers under the age of 18. In New York, for example, teenagers must be 16 years old before they can get a learner's permit, and they are only allowed to drive when accompanied by a supervising driver age 21 or older who has a valid license to operate the vehicle they are in. New York is among the many states that also limit the number of passengers that can be in the car with a teenager.

While state laws are designed to encourage teenagers to become safe drivers, their families should share the responsibility. Parents are encouraged to teach their children about the consequences they may face for being irresponsible.

* Loss of driving privileges if you get a ticket.

If they get a ticket because they were speeding or driving recklessly, you can expect your auto insurance policy price to jump significantly. So, it would be a good idea to make it clear to your teenager that if he or she gets a ticket, they'll have to pay for the ticket, and the increase in your premium.

* Require teenagers to secure their own insurance policy

If you don't believe that your child is being responsible, a good course of action may be to remove him or her from your insurance policy and require the teen to find car insurance on their own. Remind the teenager how expensive this will be. That should help to keep them in line.

Driving may be a rite of passage, but it's also a privilege. Make sure your son or daughter realizes that.

Courtesy of ARAcontent