- Practice meditation as a family. The ability to perform mindfulness meditation improves your multitasking skills, which are required for safe driving.
- Have them place their cellphone in the trunk before leaving. Even hands-free phone calls create a risk of inattention at the same level as handheld use. If it's in the glove box, the device is still accessible, but to get into the trunk, the car will have to stop.
- Give them lots of chances to drive with you in the car. Yes, this is hard on both parental blood pressure and bumper, but the more they practice, the better the brain training and automatic reactions.
- Get everyone together to do some yoga. These kinds of activities help visual perception, which makes it easier to look for environmental cues that help with accident avoidance.
- Tell them others are terrible drivers. Studies have shown that 10% of drivers on the road at any time are seriously distracted. Scary, right? Have them assume that those approaching don't see you, won't stop at the light, or will make another mistake. I drop way back when I see a car swerving or moving erratically. This gives them extra opportunities to avoid the upcoming crash.
By the way, the above tips can also improve the driving of adults.
What are your best tips for teen drivers?
Our boys all have had the pleasure and help of Dad taking them to an empty parking lot (schools on weekends or churches during the week) and getting them behind the wheel without the other distractions... we have never set up our own cones like on the movie "Pacifier" but they did go in and out of the parking stripes. Most driving classes don't have the time or patience to let the teen really get a feel for where their new bubble space is. Of course lots of practice with mom. And a good understanding that asking for help is ok/ we have come to the rescue when they forgot how to turn on the car or take off the hand-brake, and no word that would make them feel dumb, so they feel ok to keep trying. Also, I found out that insurance companies give breaks on the rates ($) if the teen takes a "better driver course" like they give to reduce ticket fines.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to see the research behind yoga and increased visual perception as well as meditation and improved multitasking. Can you please share? Interesting ideas Lynn. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThe yoga/increased visual perception link can be found in TELLES, S., MAHARANA, K., BALRANA, B., & BALKRISHNA, A. (2011). EFFECTS OF HIGH-FREQUENCY YOGA BREATHING CALLED KAPALABHATI COMPARED WITH BREATH AWARENESS ON THE DEGREE OF OPTICAL ILLUSION PERCEIVED. Perceptual & Motor Skills, 112(3), 981-990.
ReplyDeleteThe meditation/multitasking link is in Bormann, J. E., Thorp, S. R., Wetherell, J. L., Golshan, S., & Lang, A. J. (2013). Meditation-based mantram intervention for veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder: A randomized trial. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, And Policy, 5(3), 259-267. doi:10.1037/a0027522
Thanks Lynn!
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