Beyond the driving test

How to encourage responsible driving

1. Keep road safety a topic of conversation

   Education is the best prevention. In all the excitement about passing the test, it's easy to forget that it's not the test that matters: it's what comes after.

   Get them to follow us on Twitter, Whatsapp them our Young Driver's Guide articles. It's what we do this for and if more parents got involved like you are, it would be an easier task.

2. Give them a financial incentive

   Nope, not bribes. Telematics insurance is about wanting to drive well - a driver has to buy into the idea of driving safely in order to earn discounts on their insurance premiums.

   With ingenie that's up to an extra 21% discount, and all they have to do is keep driving how their instructor taught them. Find out more about how your child can save money by driving well.

3. Decide together what the rules are

Make a physical list together of the things they're not going to do. It sounds ridiculous but it's a recognised model for behaviour change: a physical agreement cements our intentions.

I will never...

• Drink and drive
• Take more people than there are seats
• Use my phone to call or text while I'm in the car
• Do something stupid because a friend told me to

I will always...

• Pay attention to speed limits
• Wear my seatbelt and make sure other people do too
• Take a break if I'm too tired to drive safely

The key to this tip is to both agree, then stop the lecture instantly. You can still bring it up every now and then but don't hassle them: it will only make this slightly over-parenty situation more over-parenty.

 

4. Teach them how to fight peer pressure

Passing the driving test feels like the real first step towards adulthood. It’s about freedom, escape, prestige - ah, prestige. Yes. That’s the problem.

One of the biggest things your child is going to have to overcome is peer pressure. They might have the sweetest friends in the world, but put a bunch of teenagers in a car and things can start to get a bit risky.

The message to give them is: it is YOUR licence and YOUR car. Do not give those things up for anybody - especially not Kev from college who you didn't even really want to give a lift in the first place.

What can happen if you're caught driving dangerously:

• You could lose your licence, making it very hard to get around and affecting future jobs
• You could have to pay a £5,000 fine
• You could be looking at 6 months in prison
• You could face a driving conviction, which you have to declare to insurers for 5 years - that makes your insurance a lot more expensive
• You could have to take a compulsory extended driving test before you can have a licence again - and they're NOT fun

Having a black box is a great way to tell your friends you can't drive like an idiot because your insurance will go up. We actually have car stickers that tell other motorists the same thing: "No, I'm not going to speed because I pay based on how I drive."