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Teenage Terror: Learning to Drive

Think back to your “learning to drive” experience as a teenager—was it fun? Stressful? How did it make your parents feel? If you have a teenager of your own, you may be facing the driving experience again from the other side. Learning to drive can be a wonderful time and mark a special stage of life. It can be a time for parents to teach responsibility to their teenager. It can also be a stressful (and dangerous!) time for both parents and teens.

Perhaps the scariest part for parents is the stage AFTER the teen has their license and can drive without parental supervision. Statistics show that over 5,000 young adults (ages 16-20) die after car accidents with an additional 400,000 being seriously injured. Most teen car accidents result from speeding or error—errors that are usually just due to a lack of experience or not understanding how to drive defensively.

Many teens use cell phones while driving, not to mention the texting phenomenon that has taken the teen world by storm. Statistics are worse when teenagers drive with their friends, and teenaged males are twice as likely to be in accidents as females. And even though teenagers make up only 10% of the population, they account for nearly 12% of the accidents.

What are some ways to help prevent unnecessary fatalities on the road? The best way is to maintain open lines of communication with your young adult and make sure they understand the seriousness and responsibility that comes with the privileges of driving. Defensive driving classes and other safety courses can help make an impact in your teenager’s mind about safety on the roads.

One way to help keep your teenager accountable is with a GPS tracking device. Many GPS tracking devices have speed alerts, location alerts, theft alerts, and many more functions to help your teen have accountability for their driving habits. GPS tracking systems consist of a series of satellites orbiting space that work together to determine the latitude and longitude of the individual or vehicle that is wearing the receiver. Many of these devices download real time information every 5, 10, or 15 seconds. This information can be retrieved from the internet or a mobile device.

A GPS device can be an investment, but the life and safety of your teenager is worth the extra help that a GPS can provide. You won’t always be right in the car with your teenager, but that doesn’t mean that the driving experience has to be a terror. With good communication and the extra accountability of a GPS tracking device, the teenage years can be a wonderful time of bonding and growing for you and your young adult.

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