The importance of teaching today’s teens and young drivers the importance of eliminating distractions while driving cannot be stressed enough. Even adults sometimes don’t understand the implications that come along with doing something as simple as eating while driving or talking on the phone. Before buying your teenager his or her first car, whether it’s a Chevrolet in Grand Rapids or a Honda from Detroit – safety is dictated by your teen’s driving knowledge, not the type of car he or she is driving. Doing things such as texting, eating, putting on makeup, talking on the phone, fitting too many people into one car, loud music, or driving while crying are just a few types of distractions that cause fatal accidents every day.

Talking On the Phone and Texting

This is the number one distraction that teenagers face in the county. In today’s age of technology, every teenager feels the need to stay up-to-date with technology and social media and our phones allow us to do these things. Whether it’s texting a friend about the weekend, checking Facebook, tweeting about the upcoming election, or simply talking on the phone, these are all major distractions that take both your eyes and ears off the road. It’s important to pay attention even at red lights – it’s never okay to text while sitting in the driver’s seat. It’s important to stress to your teenager that if it’s absolutely necessary to make a phone call, he or she needs to pull over either on the side of the road or a parking lot.

Crying or Feeling Emotionally Unstable

When one is in emotional distress, it is difficult to concentrate on anything other than what is making them upset. Even if driving is something that seems like second nature to you, it’s important to stay out of the driver’s seat if you are feeling especially upset, angry, or distressed. Attention should be kept on the road at all times and by getting behind the wheel while crying or angry, you are putting yourself and the lives of others at risk.

Driving Too Many People in a Car

It’s understandable that sometimes a packed car is necessary (as long as the state does not have a law against driving more than one person while under a provisional license), it’s important to stay focused on driving and not let the noise level distract you from the road. Don’t be afraid to ask others in the car to quiet down – after all, you’re the driver.

As mentioned above, it doesn’t matter if you buy your son or daughter a Chevrolet from Grand Rapids or a Honda from Detroit… safety is about their driving knowledge and mindset while on the road. It’s important to stress to your child about avoiding distractions while driving and what the consequences could be from driving while distracted.

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Jillian Johnson is a professional marketing content writer who blogs on a variety of topics. Follow her @MissWritey.

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