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You’ve no doubt heard (or perhaps uttered) those same words before. Tattletaling may not be a “nice” thing to do, but it can be an invaluable tool to learn that your child is not exactly the innocent angel you thought he was. While it probably takes a lot of self control not to roll your eyes up into your head when you’re informed that your teenager said a “bad” word or showed someone a rude gesture, you’ll nonetheless likely offer the standard parental response, “Thanks for telling me, I’ll talk to him about it later.” Meanwhile, what you’re really thinking is “Oh, give me a freaking break and get over it” because you’ve got other (more important) things to worry about than your kid insulting someone.

But what if one of those “more important things to worry about” concerns your teenager – your newly licensed teenager – who was seen driving inappropriately? Wouldn’t you want someone to tattle on him? Sure you would. That nosy old biddy from down the street has probably got your phone number on her speed dial. But your teenager probably drives with the utmost care as he approaches the house, and unless Biddy is following him around in her electric scooter, who is left to tattle when he’s out and about and out of sight of the homestead?

Everyone! That is, if you’ve got a “how’d you like my driving?” bumper sticker on your car. You’ve seen them on 18-wheelers, but now they make them specifically for new teenage drivers. Brilliant, isn’t it? Sure, your teen will be mortified and complain vociferously about how you don’t trust him, but you hold your ground and insist that that bumper sticker be displayed prominently. You do need to know that he’s driving with care. And, besides, what’s the point of becoming a parent if you can’t embarrass your child now and again.  But you will come out on top by ensuring you have the best car insurance for teenagers.

Kids have a way of always finding a puddle to splash in, have you noticed? Sure, you gave them the “puddle warning” before they headed out the door en route to school, but invariably, they always came home with soaking wet pants, soggy socks and shoes, and a nose dripping with who-knows-what virus that heralded the start of another cold. You always figured they’d outgrow it. You did, didn’t you?

If your teenager is about to become a driver, you better pull that warning back out of mothballs. Finding every puddle on the road is not as fun as when we were six or seven, and it can be downright dangerous – much, much worse than a runny nose. Teaching your teenager the rights and wrongs (or dos and don’ts) of driving in rain is vitally important.

Right/Do:

• Make sure a cell phone is fully charged and available (for use when parked, only).
• Make sure the gas tank is filled, or money/credit card available.
• Know where the windshield wiper, headlight and defogger switches are located on the dashboard.
• Make it a rule: If the wipers are on, turn on headlights, as well – not only do you get better visibility, but oncoming drivers may not be able to see you otherwise.
• Avoid puddles if you can do so safely – you never know how deep the pothole is beneath it; if you can’t do it safely, go through it slowly.
• Brake earlier than you think you need to.
• Ensure you have great car insurance for teenagers.

Wrong/Don’t:

• Don’t speed; reduce your speed by 5-10 mph, or as road conditions demand.
• Don’t use cruise control; you need to be in full control of the car.
• Don’t slam on your brakes; on an oil-slicked surface, it will only exacerbate the problem. It’s better to ease off the gas and gently tap the brakes.
• Don’t ever drive across a flooded roadway; believe it or not, even a 1-ton vehicle can be carried away by only a few inches of water.

Finally, in extreme rain conditions, slow down, pull the car off the road to the shoulder, turn on your hazard lights and wait out the storm. Then (and only then) call your parents and let them know you’re safely stopped, ‘cause they’re doing what all parents do when the weather gets really bad and their baby is out in the storm: Worrying.

“Normal” people don’t like to drive when the weather is bad – rain, snow, ice, fog – all conditions that make for increased stomach acid. Bad enough if you’re the driver, worse still if you’re the parent of the driver… and a newbie driver at that. But, somehow, you’ve managed to survive driving a car when in all truth it probably should have been a boat (or a tank). That somehow was based on one or two things: Experience and/or luck. Not everyone is lucky enough to survive a car accident in inclement weather, but you can help your teenage driver up their odds by giving her the keys when the weather is bad, and allowing her to gain a little experience (and maybe a lot of respect) for extreme weather conditions.

Certainly, you’d like to think that your teen has paid attention to your driving when she was merely a passenger. That she’d know what to do in the face of 60 MPH winds and driving rain. But, let’s be honest here, it’s highly doubtful she was sitting there in awe of your driving prowess – she was too busy sending out text messages and listening to her iPod. And, sadly, she’s not going to get those very vital driving skills through osmosis. So, if a storm front is coming in (and if it’s not so bad that you wouldn’t drive in it yourself), grab your keys and your antacid and hit the road (carefully) with your teenager!

Tip: Don’t forget to check out car insurance for teenagers.

“I acknowledge your generosity, kindness and sacrifice in allowing me the privilege (yes, I understand that it is a privilege, thank you, wonderful parent) to drive this car, and in return for that privilege:

I vow to obey the posted speed limit;

I vow to obey the traffic laws (even the ones I think are stupid);

I vow to never drive the car if I’ve been drinking or used drugs (not that I’d ever do that anyway);

I vow to never even have beer, liquor or drugs in the car;

I vow to drive in the safest manner possible, always (even when my friends are watching);

I vow never to call or tm anyone on my cell or even to read a tm from anyone (even if it’s from my bffl);

I vow that if I should ever get a ticket that I will not only not hide the ticket from you (I understand that we will need to discuss it), but I will pay for the ticket out of my own (hard-earned) money;

I vow that if the insurance goes up because of that ticket (that I’m never going to get anyway) that I’ll pay the difference;

I vow that I will pay for any damage to the car if the insurance doesn’t cover it (even if it takes the rest of my life);

I vow that I will use my own money to put gas in the car and do all of that nasty mechanical stuff that you’re supposed to do;

I vow that I will not throw garbage into the back seat or on the floor (and if I do, I vow that I’ll clean it before you even notice);

I vow that I will not have more than XXX friends in the car at one time;

I vow that all of my friends will buckle up before I put the car in gear (even if it means we all look like dorks);

I vow to be home when you told me to be home (as opposed to when I said I’d be home);

I vow to call you in an emergency (but you have to promise not to over-react when I call – it’s hard enough telling you as it is);

I vow to come home alive.”

By following these vows, I promise to do my part to keep the car insurance for teenagers at reasonable rates.

So, you and your teenager are thrashing out, um, calmly discussing what should go into the partnership agreement between you.  Your portion of a good agreement might go something like this:

You to Your Teenage Driver:

 “I vow to give you the privilege of driving the car (out of the goodness of my heart and at great personal sacrifice) in exchange for your agreement to the following terms and conditions… (see Part 2)”

While your teenage driver may not agree with this statement (especially once they see Part 2), this is harder on you than it is on your child.  You will have to accept the fact that – because you are giving them this opportunity – they will become much more independent now.  From here on out, they will keep going and going and going until they’re gone.  And with that freedom comes more worry for you… and more gray hair, more stomach acid, more nervous twitches, etc. 

Until the day comes when your child has her own child, she will view your worries and concerns as “over-protectiveness” on your part.  Until that day, she won’t understand that it’s pure love.

Now, once you’ve taken a look at Part 2 and worked with your teenager to create a contract that suits your particular needs, print it, date it and sign it.  Now your teenager is good to go – literally and figuratively.

Entering into a partnership of any sort requires an agreement or contract between all parties involved; sometimes that contract is verbal, but more often than not there’s a written agreement.  For example, when you open a bank account and there’s a written contract between you and the bank, each of you acknowledges what the other agrees to do – you will deposit your money and the bank will pay you interest.  When a couple gets married, there’s a verbal agreement between one partner and the other; a vow to love, honor and cherish, blah blah blah all said in front of witnesses so there’s no wiggle room.  Agreements, contracts, vows… what they all do is establish a standard or a set of rules by which all parties agree to abide.

While a somewhat new concept, a contract that evidences the partnership between a teenage driver and her parents should also be formalized, so that a standard is established.  First and foremost, it should be made clear that failure to abide by the standards is grounds for termination of the agreement – solely at the discretion of the parent. (Note to teenage driver:  Tough.)

Now, drawing up a driving contract doesn’t mean you have to hire a lawyer and track down a notary.  What it does mean is that you and your teenage driver will have to sit down together and calmly discuss exactly what it is that you expect of her, and she in turn will have an opportunity to modify your proposal (within reason).  (Note to teenage driver:  Tough.) 

 So what goes into this proposal between you and your teenage driver?  Let’s go find out.

Driving on a fast-paced highway with thousands of seemingly manic drivers can give even the most seasoned and experienced of drivers pause. Imagine what it does to a teenage driver? On the outside, teens are all bravado and bluster, but on the inside, they’re quivering in their Converse.

Highway driving is not for the novice, nor for the faint of heart. A driver should not only be well versed in the instrumentation and handling of their own car, but understand the intricacies of the all-important merge and the lane change, and have the ability to quickly read and understand signage.

Highway driving is a skill that is only learned from experience. No book can explain how or when to do this, that and the other thing. There are no boilerplate rules because highways are ever-changing and highway conditions are not static.

But giving your teen driver the experience of highway driving is a must – after all, there are only so many back roads you can take to get to the mall. Certainly, Monday’s evening rush hour is not the time to teach your teen about highway driving, but very early on a Sunday morning, when traffic is nearly non-existent, could be perfect. Only hands-on practice will help to turn your nervous teenage driver into a confident young adult who can handle a highway, and all its dangers, with aplomb and reason.

And remember, a hesitant teenager driver (or any driver, for that matter) who drives below the minimum speed level on a highway is just as dangerous as the driver who’s speeding along at 100 mph. Practice, practice, practice.

It’s often been said that driving is a privilege, not a right.  That’s never been a truer statement as it applies to the teenage driver.  Just as you expect your child to do his chores in exchange for his weekly allowance, you should expect some tit-for-tat for driving privileges.  Sure, you could make him regrout the bathrooms before you toss him the keys (and he’d probably do it, too), but that wouldn’t make him a more responsible driver – a happier, stickier driver, perhaps, but not necessarily a better driver. 

How can your teenager earn those all-important key privileges?  By showing a level of maturity beyond his years in accepting his responsibilities that don’t involve your car, that’s how.  And you can measure that by how often you need to “talk” or “remind” him… Did you…?  Will you…?  Have you…?  Don’t forget to… Whatever the blanks may be, if your teenager can say, “Yes, yup, you bet, and already did” then he’s well on his way to earning the keys.  He understands his responsibilities to you and the household. 

That’s good.  Because driving is a privilege, and no one is entitled to do so merely because he’s “old enough” to do it.  There may be a vast difference between chronological age and intellectual age.  And, let’s face it – in the grand scheme of things, a teenager is still a baby, and baby’s still need some guidance.  Telling your teenager that he’s still a baby will probably not go over well, but telling your child that he is still your baby will certainly gladden his heart… though he’ll probably never tell you that.