Coaching New Drivers Blog

Sunday, October 18, 2020, kicked off this year’s National Teen Driver Safety Week hosted by Parachute. The aim of this year’s campaign focuses on speeding, impaired driving, and the dangers of railway tracks for your driving teen. You might be asking yourself, “so what can I do as a parent or guardian to help alleviate these risks from my teen driver”? First, bringing awareness to the topics is essential, next your teen needs to have the skills and education to make the correct decision while in the driver’s seat, and last, your teen requires a good example to follow. Driving Teen Statistics First, let’s take a look at some of the statistics to better understand the severity of the issues

The month of October is the Distracted Driving Awareness month hosted by the National Safety Council. Typically, the awareness month is held in April, but due to COVID-19, it was postponed. This month is important but especially essential for you too, a parent of a newly driving teen. These numbers are dangerous, and we, as parents, need to ensure that we are educating our teens about the dangers and giving them the proper tools to avoid distracted driving. 38 percent of students who drove reported texting while driving on at least one day; 22 percent sometimes texted, and 16 percent frequently texted American Academy of Family Physicians Before you start educating your teen on distracted driving, let’s make sure we

The temperature is cooling, the air is getting crisp, and the leaves are beginning to change colors. As we move further into September, it is apparent that Autumn is upon many of us in North America. When the weather changes, the roads change too, and you need to ensure that your teen understands which changes will occur and that they can confidently deal fall driving. This week’s blog post will provide you with tips and tricks on getting your newly driving teen ready for the fall driving conditions. Previous Next Precipitation During fall, precipitation at night can cause slick roads, frosted windshields, and foggy conditions in the morning. It will be useful to show your teen first-hand what fall driving

Collisions with wildlife can not only be damaging to your vehicle but can be fatal as well. It is important to ensure that your teen is educated on the signs and know what to do when wildlife appears on the road. In 2017, there were over 200 deaths from drivers getting into collisions with wildlife and even more injuries. (IIHS, 2019) Some states have a higher risk of wildlife collisions than others, with West Virginia having the highest risk and Hawaii having the lowest. Check out the table below for the top 5 states with the highest risk of vehicle and animal collisions. As a parent, what are the necessary things that you need to ensure that your teen knows

For new drivers and even experienced drivers parking in different situations can become stressful and difficult. I know that for many, parallel parking is often avoided as it can be a bit more challenging to master. This week I felt it would be beneficial to share some tips and tricks as well as some great resources with you to help you teach your teen to confidently park in any situation! Angled Parking  Angled parking is where the parking spot is at about a 45-degree angle to the lane. This type of parking is common in cities across North America.  Use the following steps in assisting your teen: Have your teen locate a vacant parking spot and advise them to use

In previous blogs, I have mentioned the importance of getting your teen to learn proper techniques with a professional, but how do you choose which driving school or instructor is right for your teen? Different instructors have different teaching styles, some of which may not be the right fit for your teen. Follow the next few steps to help you find an instructor that will match your teen’s needs! Do Your Research Your first step should be to do some research. There are a few ways to find driving schools and instructors in your area: Google search Driving School Association of the Americas website Ask friends or family for referrals Start to compile a list of schools that you would

Before your teen goes to get their driver’s licence, they must get enough practice driving in different conditions (weather and road) and understand the rules of the road. A great way to assist you as a parent is to enroll your teen in a driver’s training program—there plenty of different programs that can cater to your teen’s needs. Aside from teaching your teen how to drive, why should you consider enrolling your teen into a program? Here are four main reasons as to why you should: Your teen will learn above and beyond the rules of the road Your teen will get to practice with a professional instructor Your teen can save on insurance premiums Your teen can reduce statistics