As summer starts, many teen drivers who recently got their license will be heading out on the road for the first time. While these are the months of the year teenagers wait for, parents need to understand that the period of time between Memorial and Labor Day is traditionally the most dangerous time for teens to be out on the road.
According to Tire Rack Street Survival, a national non-profit teen driving education program, the summer is the time of year with the highest rate of accidents for teenagers. AOL Autos reports there are several steps parents can take to help reduce their teen's risk out on the road.
For starters, be sure there's an open line of communication between parent and driver. Many parents overreact when their child makes a mistake behind the wheel, and this can lead to the teen bottling up and not telling the parent about dangers they've encountered on the road. Instead, it's important that parents go for rides with their teen and help correct mistakes in a gentle way. According to the news source, teens whose parents are involved in their day-to-day driving are 70 percent less likely to drink and drive, 50 percent less likely to speed and 30 percent less likely to use their phone behind the wheel.
Keeping up with vehicle maintenance is also important. Parents should be sure the car has a properly-inflated tires and may want to consider brake service before allowing their child to get behind the wheel.