Teaching your teenager to drive is a situation all in itself. Overcoming the anxiety of your teen learning how to operate a vehicle can be stressful, but worrying about their well-being once they are licensed is a whole other feeling.
You’ll experience an array of emotions if your teen is in an accident, but it’s most important to equip them with the knowledge to protect themselves.
Check out a quick look at a few things you should teach your teen driver about how to handle a car accident, and send a capable new driver out onto the roads.
Teach them the consequences of running
Your teenager should fully understand the law concerning vehicle collisions. They need to know that it is illegal to hit another vehicle and flee the scene. Teenagers are rash in their thoughts at times, and the fear of getting in trouble could cause some terrible repercussions.
Teach them the full breadth of what will happen after a car accident, so they understand that it is a situation that can be handled without super severe consequences. If your teenager is involved in a hit-and-run, however, the consequences could be quite upsetting.
Explain their responsibility in the situation
Teens need to know the full breadth of responsibility they take on as the driver of a vehicle. It may be difficult to instill the true nature of the responsibility, but you are doing your part by at least presenting your teenager with the information.
Let your kid know that no matter whose fault an accident is, you have to stay until the cops sort everything out. Let your kid know that the lives of others could be affected if they choose to drive recklessly.
Go over safety steps often
Your teen is going to freak out if they are ever in a car accident. You need to teach them how to manage their heightened senses, and take care of the situation. Teach them what to do immediately after a collision. Teach them how to choose whether or not to move the vehicle, etc.
Teach your kids how insurance works
Teens may not be able to see past the shocking situation right in front of them if they are in a car accident. However, equipping their minds with the right knowledge will help them make better decisions under pressure (or at least that’s the goal).
Take the time to explain to your teenager how auto insurance works. They need to know that there is coverage to fix the damage, and a car accident isn’t always a terrible terrible thing. In fact, most accidents result in simple dings and scratches.
Warn them of potential personal injury cases
Warn your teen that some people may try to use a car accident lawyer to sue them for compensation. This is more likely to happen if the crash was so serious it results in the other party being left disabled. Of course, this can unfortunately be a situation that becomes reversed, which is why it is also worth making sure they know what to do if they themselves need an auto accident attorney in San Antonio or similar. Luckily, it isn’t common practice to sue in most parts of the world so it’s not necessarily something they need to stress about. Most of the time the two parties will simply exchange phone numbers, say sorry and leave it like that.
Make sure they have what they need
Equip your teens with the proper knowledge to handle a car accident, but give them the tools to deal with the situation as well. Make sure they have an insurance card.
Make sure they have a basic first aid kit in the vehicle, as well as a spare tire and a jack. Teach your teen how to maintain basic things on the vehicle they drive, so they can be prepared to adjust to a changing situation.
