Safety First

Hi, I’m Steve Hammes from DriveTime. Good safety habits should be taught long before teens take a seat behind the wheel.

Driving a car requires skill, which comes from practice and time.  But we believe that safety should be the first thing taught to every new driver, preferably years before they are eligible to apply for their first learner’s permit.

Buckling up, having a working knowledge of how advanced safety features operate, and understanding the importance of car maintenance are early lessons. Once teens are old enough sit in the driver’s seat, they should be taught the basics of defensive driving.

Adult role models should drive defensively, helping new drivers develop an awareness of other vehicles and unexpected conditions.  In addition, inexperienced drivers will need to learn traffic laws and the general rules of the road.  New drivers will need to study their state driver’s manual to learn local traffic laws and regulations.