One of the most advanced driving skills that your teen will need to learn and master before they’re able to be a safe and mature driver is freeway driving. But for most teen drivers and their parents, driving on the freeway is one of the scariest things you can do when behind the wheel. However, if you’re able to give your teen the right training and advice, there’s no reason why your teen should be nervous to drive on the freeway.
To help you with this, here are three ways to prepare your teen driver for their first time on the freeway.
Choose The Right Time
For your teen’s first drive on the freeway, it’s important that you pick the right time and conditions for your teen to experience the speeds of the freeway.
According to Wayne Parker, a contributor to Very Well Family, you should first take your teen out to drive on the freeway during the daylight hours, and preferably when there will be less traffic on the road. This means that you’ll want to avoid rush hour traffic. Additionally, you’ll also want to check that the weather will be nice on the day you choose to go out, as rain or high winds can make freeway driving much more dangerous, especially when driving around big trucks that might be dangerous.
Talk About Picking A Speed
When on the freeway, some teens might be anxious to see just how much speed they can get up to. However, traveling at high speeds increases the chances of getting in a car accident. On the other hand, you also don’t want your teen to drive slower than the flow of traffic. Because of this, it’s important to talk to your teen about picking a speed before you get on the freeway.
Ideally, TeenDriving.com shares that you should tell your teen that they should hover around the actual speed limit while also driving with the flow of traffic, whether that’s a little faster or a little slower. Along with this, you’ll need to inform your teen of what road conditions require them to slow down, such as water on the road, precipitation, wind, and more.
Stay In The Right Lane
For many teens, the idea of passing cars that are going slower than you is liberating. But to keep your teen safe, it’s vital that they try to stay in the right lane as much as possible.
According to Andrei Zakhareuski, a contributor to Driving-Tests.org, you should speak with your teen about leaving the right lane only to pass cars that are driving lower than the speed limit or to get out of the way of other cars trying to merge onto the freeway.
If you have a teen who needs to learn how to drive on the freeway, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you both prepare for this first experience.
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