Florida Car Accident Lawyer Blog
Now that school is starting again, the morning commute may be a subject of conversation around your house in Hollywood or your community. If you have young drivers in your household, they may be excited at the prospect of driving to school.
Young drivers are often serious about learning to drive safely, but they still have less experience on the roads when compared with older drivers. This can put teen drivers at a risk of collisions. The morning commute, especially, can be a daunting time for teens to drive, because this time of day can mean lots of traffic in the Hollywood and South Florida area. If your teens want to drive to school for the first time, there are a few things you’ll want to do:
1) Make sure they’re ready.
Give your teen a few months with their new license before they tackle the morning commute. Drive in the car with them to determine what their skill level is like. If needed, you may want to get some additional training or defensive driving classes for your teen before you let them drive by themselves to school.
2) Make sure their car is ready.
Even if your teen’s driving skills are good, make sure their car can handle the demands of a daily drive. Set up a regular maintenance schedule to ensure the car stays in good condition.
3) Plan ahead.
Talk with your teen about the best routes and routines to get to school safely. Have a plan for safe driving.
4) Ban passengers and distractions.
Your teen may be excited about giving friends a drive to school, but studies have shown teens with teen passengers may have a higher risk of collisions. The more passengers in the car, the greater the distraction and the risk. If your teen will be driving to school, make sure they do not use mobile devices while driving or giving drives to friends. After a few months, when they are used to the commute, you can revisit this policy.
5) Set limits.
Have a set of rules for your teen if they’re going to drive in the mornings. This may mean your teen needs to stay off freeways or needs to check in with you when they get to school. It may mean a “no passengers” rule. Make sure there are consequences for breaking the rules – such as the loss of driving privileges.
6) Discuss parking and safety.
Will your teen have a safe space to park? Parking in a school parking lot may be safer than trying to parallel park on a street. A steady parking spot also means your child will not be driving around, looking for a parking spot.
7) Address fatigued driving.
One of the dangers of the morning commute is fatigued driving, which is a major cause of Hollywood and South Florida car accidents. If your teen tends to be groggy in the mornings, a morning drive may not be right for them – especially if they haven’t had some time to develop driving skills.
If you or a member of your family have been involved in a car collisions in Hollywood or anywhere in South Florida, contact Flaxman Law Group for a free, confidential, and no obligation case consultation. We’d be happy to review your case and offer insights into your legal rights.