Coaching New Drivers Blog

Driving comes with responsibility, and a part of that responsibility includes paying for a vehicle, insurance, and gas! In previous blogs, I have shared tips on saving on your teen’s insurance (4 Ways to Get Cheaper Insurance for Your Teen) and steps to purchasing your teen’s first vehicle (3 Steps to Buying Your Teen’s First Car: Keeping Your Loved Ones Safe), but we have never discussed fuel consumption! First, let’s define fuel consumption. Fuel consumption is how much fuel a vehicle uses to travel a certain distance. This number can be found on the vehicle’s dash (sometimes you may have to click through a few settings to find it), but it is usually represented as x L/100km or x G/100mi.

Just as your teen needs to be prepared to drive in urban areas, your teen also needs to know the ins and outs of driving on the highway! The first time your teen drives on the highway can be intimidating. Ensure that you prepare your teen by sharing these useful tips! I put this blog post together as it is the National Safety Month hosted by the National Safety Council. I will cover the use of cruise control, passing on single and multi-lane highways, and other highway rules. Cruise Control Cruise control allows the driver to set a speed that they would like the vehicle to maintain. Your teen must understand when cruise control should and should not be used. Cruise

Did you know that May is Motorcycle Awareness Month hosted by the National Safety Council? The purpose of this campaign is to remind drivers and motorcycle riders to do their part to keep each other safe on the roads! I thought it would be a great idea to share some tips to help you educate your teen on sharing the road safely with motorcycle riders. Each year thousands of people lose their lives due to collisions involving a motorcycle and four-wheeled vehicles, and these numbers continue to rise. Without proper education, many new drivers are unaware of how they should treat other types of motorists, which leads to collisions. These collisions are usually caused because: Motorcycles are smaller and are more

1. Day Time Running Lights Daytime running lights assist the driver with seeing and helping other vehicles on the roadway identify active vehicles during light hours. Day time running lights are present in most vehicles manufactured in the 1990s or later. Your teen must understand that daytime running lights are not meant to be used in situations where the driver requires more light to see the road. If that is the case, it is best to turn on the low beams, but we will discuss this further on. In most vehicles, the daytime running lights are engaged when the vehicle is put into gear. 2. Low Beams The purpose of low beams is to illuminate the road far enough ahead

I remember the first time I saw the blue and red lights in my rear-view mirror. My heart sunk, and I began to panic. Why? Because I did not know what to do in the situation that I was getting pulled over. Although we hope that our teens will always be driving safely and correctly, there are instances where they will also see the blue and red lights in their rear-view mirror. It is best that they are educated and know what to do to reduce anxiety and ensure that they are proceeding safely to reduce the risk of collision. Throughout this blog, I will discuss different situations that your teen needs to be prepared for. Getting Pulled Over When

Many of us have family pets that love (or maybe don’t love) to go on car rides. We love our pets, and we would do anything to keep them safe, so we must know the basics on how to transport them safely and pass the tips on to any new drivers, such as your teen in the household. From trips to the vet, the dog park, vacation, and even just going for a car ride, we need to ensure that we are safely transporting our pets to ensure that we do not increase the risk of collision. When our pets are not safely secured in the vehicle, this puts your teen at a higher risk of collision as your pet

As parents, we do not want to see our teens get into any type of vehicle collision, minor or major. Your teen needs to be able to identify risk before the consequence occurs and develop risk reduction strategies. One of these many strategies includes being aware of the types of collisions that can occur and learning how to avoid them or identify them before driving independently. While you are coaching your teen from the passenger seat, it is an excellent opportunity to point out the types of collisions that can occur from the risky behavior that your teen may be close to engaging in or that other drivers are performing. In the following blog, I will discuss the three most

2020 was quite the whirlwind of a year. The COVID-19 pandemic brought many new changes into the world we live in, and much of the change was out of any of our control. I asked myself, how can we get a good start to the new year? Let’s start 2021 with safety in mind! We can ensure that our teens are driving safely by providing them with risk reduction strategies, showing them proper technique, and getting lots of practice (which has become one of the few activities we can safely do together as a family)! We tend to worry about our teens in so many aspects; let’s not make driving one of them! When you know that your teen can

As the holiday season quickly approaches, it is essential to make sure that your teen is aware of the risks associated with impaired driving, driving during the dark hours, driving with other passengers, and taking road trips. This year will most likely be an exception in most areas because of the pandemic as to the activities teens will engage in but will make it even more important to communicate well with your teen.  Many of these activities will become even more dangerous than other years and extra caution all around will be needed. Impaired Driving During the Holiday Season Unfortunately, the holiday season tends to bring a rise in impaired driving. It is important that your teen first knows how

The air is crisp and cold, and white snowflakes begin to fall from the sky… winter has arrived. As a teen driver’s parent or guardian, it is nerve-wracking each winter your teen is behind the wheel, especially the first one. The chance of your teen getting into a collision skyrockets, especially if they are not equipped with the proper preparation, tools, education, and skills. You are your teen’s best defense to safely ensure they are prepared to take on winter driving conditions. Throughout this blog, I will help you develop a great plan to ensure your teen’s safety when they begin to drive independently during the snowy season. Vehicle Preparation Before driving, the vehicle your teen will be operating must