finding a vehicle for a growing family

Out of all the milestones in your child's life, including taking their first steps and going to kindergarten, none of them are as challenging for parents as seeing their child drive off alone for the first time. A teen getting their driver's license is one of the most bittersweet experiences a parent faces. It's bittersweet because it signifies that your child will soon be an adult, yet, at the same time, means that you no longer have to play taxi driver to get your child to his or her extracurricular activities and places he or she wants or needs to go.

Of course, along with watching your teenager drive off comes worry and fear that your teenager will get into an accident, drive too fast, and/or text while they are driving. Here are 3 common worries and how technology can help keep your teenager safe while he or she is behind the wheel.

Texting While Driving

Every day, 11 teens die from texting while driving. Eleven daily. And even though 94% of teen drivers admit to knowing the dangers of texting while driving, more than one-third still do it. You can preach to your teen until you are blue in your face, but your teen may still text while driving. Of course, one way to eliminate this risk is to take the cell phone away, but then your teen wouldn't have any way to call you if he or she does get into an accident.

Fortunately, there are apps that are available to help. You can download an app on your teen's phone that will automatically shut off their phone's texting capabilities when the phone senses speeds in excess of 10-25 mph. If you are purchasing a new vehicle, look for one that has hands-free capability, because most of them have this same type of feature built-in.

Wearing a Seatbelt

Another concern you may have is whether or not your teen will religiously wear a seatbelt, as well as whether their passengers will wear one. In 2011, 55% of people ages 13-20 who died in crashes were not restrained by a seatbelt. When asked, some teens say they don't like wearing seatbelts because they are uncomfortable and it's not cool to buckle up. Speaking to your teen about the importance of wearing a seatbelt is another thing you can do repeatedly, but it may fall on deaf ears.

Many newer model cars today have seatbelt alarms that sound when the driver's seatbelt is not engaged. Some vehicles are designed to not start unless the seatbelt is buckled. When shopping for a new vehicle, look for one that has the loudest, most obnoxious seatbelt warning alarm you can find. Hopefully, the sound will be more annoying to your teen than being uncomfortable in the seatbelt.

Putting the Pedal to the Metal

Speeding is another concern that most parents have. In fact, out of the fatal accidents caused by teen drivers in 2012, 37% of the teens were speeding. Since teens don't have a lot of experience on the roads, they may not be able to control their vehicle and/or stop in time when they are speeding and a hazardous situation occurs, such as when a car pulls out in front of them or a stray animal attempts to cross the road.

To combat your teen's need for speed, install a speed limiting device in their vehicle, which is sometimes called a governor. It uses the computer system in the car to regulate the top speed by restricting the flow of air and fuel to the engine. This prevents the engine from getting the air and fuel that is necessary to go faster than the predetermined speed you set in the device. This device can be installed by a mechanic or ordered as a feature when purchasing a car from a dealership. 

Teaching your teenager about safe driving practices is always important, but sometimes it's not enough. As you look at cars for sale from dealers like Quebedeaux, make sure you ask about an safety features the cars may have that can help protect your teen as they're driving.