7 Tips to Keep Teens With ADHD Safe Behind the Wheel
Your teen is quickly approaching driving age, and you know
you can’t keep him or her away from the steering wheel forever. But when your
teen has ADHD, how do you prepare for safe driving? Here are seven tips for
equipping your teen for life behind the wheel.
1. Banish Distractions
You know your teen has trouble staying focused during
schoolwork and daily tasks, and you shouldn’t expect it to be any different in
the driver’s seat. Maximize your child’s ability to stay focused while driving
by making the car a distraction-free environment. That means no texting or
calling, changing the music, eating, or fiddling with GPS while the car’s in
motion. Since it’s hard to enforce these rules from home, equip the car with
hands-free technology so it’s easy to pick a new band without looking away from
the road. You could even utilize technology that blocks cell phone use while
the car is running.
2. Limit Passengers
Many places limit how many passengers new drivers can have,
but take it a step further by making a no-passengers rule for the first year,
followed by a limit of one passenger at a time. This gives teens with ADHD time
to master driving essentials before introducing any potential distractions. If
your teen protests this rule, explain how driving with other teens and young
adults increases the risk of a fatal accident eight
times over — and that’s among all teen drivers, not just those with
an attention deficit.
3. Keep it Simple
Forbidding texting and driving for a teen driver, especially
one with ADHD, may seem obvious. However, there are other distractions that
parents may overlook. The car itself could be distracting if it has a tech-rich
dashboard or a cluttered interior. When shopping for a teen’s first car, opt
for a model with a simple dash design and basic controls. Enforce a tidy
interior at all times to prevent your teen from looking away from the road to
reach for items.
4. Go Manual
Consider getting a manual transmission instead of automatic.
While you may think an automatic transmission would be easier for a teen to
master, there’s evidence that manual vehicles promote better
driver concentration.
5. Prepare for Roadside Emergencies
Being a good driver isn’t just about following the rules of
the road. To ensure your teen is truly prepared, equip him or her with a
roadside emergency kit and talk about what to do in the
event of an accident or breakdown. Stock the trunk with everything needed for
changing a tire and jumping a battery, and show your teen how to use it. For
extra peace of mind, enroll teen drivers in a roadside assistance plan. That
way, you know your child is safe even if he or she can’t remember the steps to
repair a flat tire.
6. Cover Basic Car Maintenance
Another essential part of a teen’s safe driving success
plan? Keeping the vehicle perfectly roadworthy at all times. Talk to your teen
about the importance of routine car maintenance and reinforce the lesson when
scheduled maintenance like oil changes come due. Depending on your teen’s
interests, teaching car maintenance you can do at home could be a
helpful measure.
7. Monitor Medication
Teens with ADHD should never get behind the wheel without
taking prescribed medication. While some families may prioritize taking
medication during school hours and be more lax during downtime, consistent
medication adherence is crucial for safe driving.
Getting a driver’s license is an exciting moment in a teen’s
life. It’s a hallmark of freedom and a gateway to new worlds. However, it’s
also a dangerous tool with risk directly tied to the concentration of its
driver. If your teen has ADHD, take these measures to keep him or her as safe
as possible on the road.
Mark Connor
Image via Pixabay
