Is your Teen Itching to Drive?

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Sooner or later, your child is going to want to get behind the wheel of the family vehicle and drive.

Now, you typically have a couple of ways to deal with this request.

On the one hand, you can sign off on it, allowing your son or daughter to drive the family car (or an extra vehicle that you have, typically an older one).

On the flip side, you can tell your child that they’re going to have to wait to drive, something that generally is not going to go over too well in most households.

That said, when your teen has that itch to drive, will you help them scratch it by buying a used vehicle, perhaps even a new one as a graduation gift?

Given that can be a tough decision for many parents, it is wise to take the necessary time to decide which road is best traveled, ultimately coming up with a solution everyone can live with.

Buying a Used Vehicle for Your Teen

In the event you decide to pull forward with the idea of purchasing a used vehicle for your teen, where does the road begin?

For many parents, they will first ask around amongst friends and outside family members, seeing if they know of anyone willing to sell their used vehicle.

Another option is to go online and see what kinds of vehicles are for sale privately, along with a number of car dealerships.

No matter how you go about buying that used car or truck for your teen, be sure to do your research, making sure the vehicle is as in good a shape as possible.

One way to do this is by going online for alicense plate lookup.

Doing so allows you to get information on not only the current owner of the vehicle you’re interested in, but also the make/model, along with any safety and/or recall issues that may be out there.

Stressing Safety When the Time Comes

Once you have that used or new vehicle ready for your teen to operate, you can’t stress enough to them how important driving safety truly is.

Among the items to remind them of:

·    Safety – First and foremost, they must always abide by the rules of the road, notably not speeding. It is also important for them to avoid reckless driving, especially when they are with their friends. Some teens want to show off in front of their peers, something that can have deadly consequences.

·    Distractions – Also remind your teen that he or she must not be distracted easily, typically meaning cell phones. There are too many tragic stories out there of teens that were seriously injured or even killed due to cell phone distractions while behind the wheel.

·    Drinking – Last but certainly not least; be sure to remind your teen about the dangers of drinking and driving. The springtime is an especially dangerous time as proms and graduations hit all 50 states. Unfortunately, teens will at times use those events as an excuse to drink and drive. Just like with texting and driving, drinking and driving can lead to deadly results.

In buying a car or truck for your son or daughter, they will stop nagging you to always want to borrow your vehicle.

When all is said and done, your teen will have a vehicle to drive, you will have made them and hopefully you happy and you might even have time for a weekend getaway with your significant other.

Just remember, if you do go away for that weekend trip, make sure your teen and their vehicle are home by midnight.