10 Helpful tips to help parents stay calm as their teens start driving

While many parents feel proud when their children pass their driving test, it can also bring a sense of anxiety surrounding their newfound independence on the road. 

Concerns about dangerous driving, distractions, inexperience, and the risk of accidents make it natural to feel uneasy about your child driving solo.

To help parents feel more at ease, learner driver insurance experts at Marmalade have offered some handy tips on how to support new drivers, stay calm, and avoid transferring their concerns to their teens.

1. Teach good driving habits

For anxious parents, encouraging your teenager to pick up good driving habits and having regular conversations about the importance of safe driving - without transferring your worries - is one of the best ways to ease your concerns.

Remind them to avoid distractions like eating, adjusting the radio, talking to passengers, or using their phone, which should go without saying. Suggest they use driving modes or "do not disturb" settings to silence notifications and ensure they set their GPS and music before starting the car. Once on the road, the safest place for their phone is in the glove box.

2.  Lead by example

Teens can be influenced by the examples set by their parents. If you are a safe, sensible driver yourself, the chances are that they will be the same. Encourage your child to be conscious of other cars on the road. For example, if you leave plenty of space between your car and the one in front, your teen will be more likely to leave time and space for other drivers so that, if something does happen, they can react in plenty of time.

3.  Promote the advantages of experience

By spending more time driving with you before passing their test, your child is more likely to be safer when driving alone. Lack of experience is often the leading cause contributing to road accidents involving teenagers. Try to stay patient when your teen is driving and avoid showing your nerves. Instead, highlight the positives of the drive and try to air any constructive criticism in a relaxed tone, as doing so will help them improve their confidence.

Experts at Marmalade recommend suggesting a Pass Plus course if you are still anxious. An advanced driving course will offer your teen the benefit of further experience, such as driving at night, motorway driving, navigating rural roads, and much more. 

4. Make sure your teen gets to know their vehicle

Most modern cars are equipped with lots of safety features such as lane assist and collision alerts, emergency braking and speed alerts. But many new drivers have them turned off or are simply unaware of these features.

Having a solid understanding of the features available and spending time demonstrating how they are used can be extremely helpful. However, your teen must know not to rely on safety features to steer them out of trouble but use them as a learning tool to help develop safe driving skills.

5. Make sure you know the highway code

Years of experience make driving feel like second nature. But, to help your teen brush up on the rules of the road, it’s a good idea to make sure you are also up to date. Go back to basics and review the Highway Code with your young driver to help encourage sensible driving habits. 

6. Look at the data

Get your teen a Black Box and try to encourage them to show you how they’re performing. This will let you identify and work on any problems together. Black boxes monitor things like speed, acceleration, braking, cornering, and mobile phone use. Often, black box insurance policies allow young drivers to use an app that shows when they’ve driven well or not so well.

7. Demonstrate the money-saving benefits

Safe driving can protect both your life and your wallet. If you've ever received a quote for a young driver or tried adding your teen to your insurance, you may have been surprised by the cost. Understanding the different types of new driver insurance can help make driving more affordable for teens.

If they maintain a clean driving record with no accidents, insurance costs can decrease over time. Regularly remind your teen that the long-term benefits of safe driving far outweigh any temptation to impress their friends.

8. Teach them what to do if things go wrong

If your teen is involved in a collision, the last thing you want is for them to panic. Instead, teach them to remain calm, assess their surroundings, and call for help. They should gather essential information, such as the license and insurance details of the other drivers involved and contact their insurance company. Keeping their own details in the car will ensure they are easily accessible. 

9. Encourage them to wear their seatbelt

Seatbelts are by far the best way for drivers to stay safe in the event of an accident. Despite this, many young drivers will admit to not wearing theirs. To protect your child and ease your anxiety, make sure to discuss the importance of always wearing a seatbelt with your teen. 

10. Try your best to stay calm

Now that they have their freedom, it's important to stay calm, supportive, and available for your teen. If it helps, consider using location apps to ensure they've arrived safely, so they won't need to call every time they reach or leave a destination.

While you may no longer have control over when they drive, trust that you've equipped them with the skills to be a safe and confident driver.