Letting Your Teen Drive During Family Trips

What family does not like to take a road trip whenever they get the chance?

With that in mind, there may come that time where your teenager will want to help with some of the driving. So, do you let him or her do that or save their driving wishes for some other time and closer to home?

While it is not the biggest decision you will ever make as a parent, it is one that you should give some thought you.

That said your teen can gain a lot of confidence behind the wheel when you allow them to drive you on your family trip.

So, are you ready for such an experience?

Confidence Comes with More Opportunities

The more opportunities your teen has for tasks such as driving during a trip, the better it makes them feel.

He or she will gain confidence in not only their abilities, but also that you put your life in their hands.

From when they got their driver’s manual to passing their test, the anticipation was building.

Your teen you hope garnered knowledge during this time in regards to what a privilege it is to have a license.

Should you allow them to drive on your trip, make sure they focus on these key areas:

1. How they’re feeling – As older adults do, teens get tired at one point or another too. With that being the case, make sure your teenager indicates when he or she is feeling tired. A tired driver of any age is a threat to themselves and those around them on the road. Don’t push your teen to drive if they’re not up to the task. This is especially true late at night when they could fall asleep and have an accident in seconds.

2. No distractions – While you would hope your teen’s primary focus is on the road ahead of them, that is not always the case. Remind them to avoid phones, messing with the radio, and being too engaged with others in the vehicle.

3. Inclement weather – If you get inclement weather while your teen is driving, don’t push them. There is nothing wrong with getting off the road in a safe manner and waiting for the storm to pass. Even for seasoned adults behind the wheel, inclement weather can prove tricky. Now, imagine if you have a young driver trying to deal with heavy rain or snow, or even ice or fog. There is no reason to risk anyone’s life by trying to push through a bad storm.

What to Do in an Accident

If by chance your teen does end up in an accident during your vacation, make sure he or she learns from it.

Sure, no one wanted to have a traffic accident on their way to or from vacation. That said it can prove a good learning experience to what to do and what not to do when presented with such a situation.

Your teen should never admit guilt in causing an accident. Let the situation play itself out with the insurers’ and even law enforcement if need be.

In letting your teen drive during family trips, will he or she have the time of their life?