If you have a teen driver (or younger-than-teen kids who will, one day, be teen drivers), then you might already know that this week we observe Teen Driver Safety Week. (Or maybe you’re surprised that there’s only one week devoted to such an important subject.)

Of course, we all know that teen driver safety is important to focus on every single day of the year—and in that spirit, we’d like to offer some of our favorite safety tips for your young drivers.

• Build a behind-the-wheel ritual. Make sure your teen adjusts mirrors as necessary, ensures the seat is situated appropriately, and—most importantly—that seatbelts are buckled. Buckling up may be the law, but in fatal crashes of people aged 16-20, 60% were unbuckled at the time of the crash.
• Put the phone away. Even experienced drivers who definitely know better may find themselves tempted to take a quick glance at a text that just came through. Ask your kids to put their phones in the glove compartment, in a bag in the backseat, or in the hands of a passenger who will keep it safe while everyone’s on the road.
• Pay attention to surroundings. It’s risky for new drivers to navigate during rough weather, in strange surroundings, and at night. Encourage your teens to limit driving in storms and after dark until they get more experience behind the wheel.
• Check out “safe driver programs.” Your insurance company may offer one that will help hammer home the most important safety tips and techniques for your young driver.
• Practice what you preach! If you emphasize the risks of drinking and driving, but you get in the car after “just one beer,” or you forbid your teen to text-and-drive, but you’ve been known to start messaging while stopped at a red light, it’s going to be hard to help your teen understand the real importance of taking every precaution while they’re behind the wheel.

For more than 25 years, Beall Financial and Insurance Services, Inc., has been helping corporations and individuals protect their most important assets. The agency’s client base covers a spectrum of niche businesses, such as craft breweries, that require specialized insurance packages and knowledge. With California offices in Redlands and Newport Beach, Beall Financial and Insurance Services serves clients nationwide.