Your teenager just received his license and he’s thrilled. You, on the other hand, will likely be worrying about a million different things. He will be on his own so will he pay full attention or will he text? Will a careless driver rear-end or suddenly cut him off? Will he drive in dangerous weather conditions? In the case of a careless car accident, will your insurance policy increase? These are all normal worries and being prepared is always best than to be caught off guard.
How To Prepare
Because you have likely been driving for a long time, there are things that you may not realize that you need to remind your teenager. For example, each time your teenager starts to drive, your teenager needs to:
- Adjust the mirrors
- Check that there is enough gas
- Check for any warning indicators
- Wear a seatbelt
While driving, remind your teenager to:
- Check both sides before turning
- Wait a couple seconds when the red light turns green at an intersection to make sure no cars have run their red light
- Wait to check text messages and phone calls for when they arrive at their destination
- Keep a safe distance from the car in front
- Check the speed limit and look for speed limit changes to abide by the law
What To Always Have
To be best prepared, you should tell your teenager to always have a pen, notebook, disposable camera, and registration in the glove compartment, in case of a crash. Additionally, add the contact of a local personal injury attorney, such as O’Brien and Ford in Syracuse, so that your teenager will have an attorney to contact immediately. You can never be overly cautious when it comes to matters as this. While your teenager might think you are being overprotective at first, he or she will certainly thank you if a car accident happens and all the items needed are in the car. A car accident is shocking and nerve-wracking, so having one less thing to worry about will always be beneficial.
What To Tell Your Teenager To Do (And Not Do)
A teenager may not know the repercussions of speaking to people before speaking with an attorney. Attorneys at The O’Brien Firm, P.C. will agree that before speaking to insurance companies that will ask for a statement, you should speak to an attorney. Following a car accident, some insurance companies will try to call your teenager for a statement about what happened. Divulging this information is not required and insurance companies will try to have the driver sign off on a document that will limit your ability to sue. Unfortunately, insurance companies’ goals are to save as much money.
Increased Insurance Rates
Your auto legal reps can impair your insurance rates. Following a car accident, your insurance rate is likely to go up. Even when it’s a minor fender bender with no injuries or car damage, if your teenager is at fault and under your insurance policy, your monthly rate will likely go up. This is why it is always advised to at least have a free initial consultation with a personal injury law firm to see if there is anything they can do for you to lessen the increase in auto insurance fees, as this reputation will remain with you for a very long time.
