New drivers, particularly the under 20s, are most at risk in the early weeks and months after they pass their driving test.
Irish Advanced Motorists / IAM Fleet has produced top tips to help parents encourage responsible driving in the crucial first few months – and to encourage safer, more responsible drivers. Parental involvement is one of the sections in the IAM Motoring Trust report “Younger Drivers, Where and When they are Unsafe.”
The IAM recommends the following tips on how parents can help their new novice drivers: Use a professional instructor to teach them to drive whilst giving them extra practice; teach by example: always use a seat belt and keep to the speed limit restrictions; take them on routes they are likely to drive on regularly and talk to them about where the risks are; help them to practise driving in various conditions, such as night time, in poor visibility and if possible on rural roads ; educate them on the potential risks (i.e. lack of concentration, showing off ) and the distractions that can follow having their friends in the car for the first time; help them to further develop their driving skills by proactively encouraging them to continue developing their driving by undertaking further training, such as an advanced driving course.
