In the blink of an eye, your child is now eligible to get their learner’s permit or driver’s license. Parents and caregivers play a key role in the development of safe driver attitudes and actions. That’s why we have compiled some essential Road Safety Tips for Teens.
Here are five tips to set your teen driver in a positive direction.
Start the conversation
Initiate important conversations with your children about road safety and the real consequences of their driving behaviour. Check if your teen is attending Street Smart High with their school this June and ask them what they learned as a conversation starter.
Conversations should be designed to cultivate resilience. Resilient teenagers are less inclined to ride with someone who might be over the limit and are more likely to speak up if the driver begins to speed.
Set the standard
Set a good example by avoiding the fatal five (speeding, drink/drug driving, distractions, not wearing seat belt and driving when fatigued).
Young people attending Street Smart High in 2024 say they consider parents and caregivers to be the main teachers of road safety. As adults it is important that we are mindful of our own behaviours.
Our data from Street Smart High attendees shows that teens have seen their parents:
- Texting and driving - 39 %
- Not wearing a seatbelt - 17%
- Drink or drug driving – 12%
Teens are looking to us to set an example, so think about the standard you are setting.
Driving lessons
Before you and your teen embark on practical driving lessons:
- Look at the DriveSafe NT Safe Driver Program.
- Double check with your insurance provider that your policy automatically covers a learner driver being taught by a parent, as long as the parent is a named driver on the policy.
- Get a safety check from an AANT approved repairer to make sure your car is in top operating condition.
The free pass
Sometimes things don’t go to plan. Let your teen know that if for whatever reason they don’t have a safe way home, they can call you, anytime, no questions asked, and you will make sure they get some safely. We call it the “Free Pass card” at AANT. It's important for young people to understand they don’t have to put themselves in risky situations because they don’t know who to call or they’re afraid they’ll get in trouble.
Assistance 24/7
AANT roadside assistance provides 24/7 support. Emergency towing, battery jump-starts, flat tyre assistance and lockout services. For our members, roadside assistance is just a phone call away, ensuring peace of mind for young drivers and their parents L & P platers get discounted membership, find out more at Discount Roadside Assist | AANT
Talking road safety for teens on Mix FM
Edon Bell, AANT’s Senior Manager Retail & Operations joined Katie Wolfe and Superintendent Daniel Shean from NT Police to talk about road safety for teens on Mix FM in May 2024 in the lead up to Street Smart High. Listen to their discussions for additional tips.
