Beyond Drivers Ed:

Practical Driving Tips for Your Teen

As a parent with so much concern over the high cost of driving, are you ready to save on the costs of driving for your teen? Have you been saving already? For some parents, that answer is going to be no - so here is some practical information that your teen can use beyond drivers ed and beyond behind the wheel training. We suggest that you read this and pass it along to your teen when they successfully complete the online driver education course and get that coveted drivers license.

Vehicle Choice

It goes without saying that choosing the right car for your new driver will save you on purchase cost, insurance premium, gas, and maintenance. The daily costs between a Hyundai Sonata and the Chevy Tahoe vary drastically. The best car for your teen is the safest car which is why many driver education schools suggest parents check out the National Highway Safety Association for the latest crash test studies to learn about the cars that get a passing grade. Even with the safest car that gives you the best insurance rate, and purchase cost there are basics to operating a vehicle that will help keep the driving costs down.

Maintenance

Regular maintenance is required to keep a vehicle operating at its optimal rate. For example, brakes need to be checked before they vibrate when you push down, tires need to be checked regularly, oil needs to be filled before the dip stick is bone dry, and windshield wipers need to be replaced each year. For most parents this is common sense but to your new driver this costs money, and time. When parents approve their teen to drive after they have completed drivers ed and passed their drivers test they are not simply committing to training in grandpa's old pick up, or driving around in parking lots, you are committing to maintaining the vehicle your teen will be operating.

Saving on Gas

One of the most common concerns is the financial burden a family faces when their teen starts driving and it's hardly surprising that there is a great deal of hype surrounding gas saving products with the extremely high prices of gas. Unfortunately, few driver education training courses cover avoiding scams and shyster products to improve your vehicle's performance. That being the case, you need to educate yourself and your teen on the ups and downs of what products you should invest your time, your money and most of all the health of your vehicle to.

Many retail stores sell products with so called "Gas Additives" promoted to save you gas mileage. You'll see advertisements that suggest they will improve your mileage and that the products were EPA tested. Fact: no government agencies endorse gas saving products. For more information on these consumer scams visit the Federal Trade Commission

Many vehicles have display signs inside the gas tank that tell you octane level of gas to put into your car. You can also learn about what level of gas to put into your car in the owners manual. What the manual fails to tell you is that for most cars the recommended octane level is regular unleaded. In fact consumers each day spend unnecessary amounts of money at the pump for gas that brings no benefit to the vehicle or gas mileage. For more information check the Federal Trade Commission

octane information area for specifics

Storage

We have always heard rumors about the more friends we fit in the car the slower the car will go. Well this might not be entirely true but what is a fact is that the more we carry in our trunks the more we are costing ourselves. According to the Federal Trade Commission for every 100 pounds in our trunk we reduce our fuel economy by 2%.

Post Drivers Ed Driving Skills

Many teen drivers have witnessed parents or grandparents braking and accelerating simultaneously when the left foot is on the brake while the right foot is on the gas. Some parents may recall being told to in order to spare the brakes decelerate on the gas because brakes are only used when necessary. Well it is true our driving skills directly affect our pocket book and as your teen prepares to drive beyond the safe harbor of their drivers ed environment teach them early on the ways to save.

To save on gas avoid idling when it is not necessary. A great example is when we rock back and forth while waiting at a stop sign in manual transmission car. Another way to save is to avoid speeding from a stop and into a stop. For example, it is common for some drivers to speed out into the intersection the moment the light turns green and then to come to a screeching halt for the next red light. First and foremost this isn't safe because the driver whose light just turn red might run it and crash right into you. As far as saving money, in the case of speeding out of and into stops, consistent driving of your vehicle can improve city gas mileage by up to 5%. Finally keep it slow. According to Federal Trade Commission gas mileage decreases at speeds greater than 60 MPH so when we are cruising down the highway at 75 you are costing yourself more money because you have to refuel sooner than if you were driving at 60 miles per hour or less.

Saving money is important for vehicle owners and drivers. Gas prices are high and according to many reports will continue to rise over time. Using a gas additive to improve your gas mileage may cause more harm to the environment and your vehicle than it does anything else. Carmakers are obviously aware of the problem; hence vehicles like hybrids are gaining in popularity as vehicle manufacturers develop ways to make them more cost-efficient for owners to purchase.

Still, as a parent, it would be nice to find a way to bring costs of driving a car down especially now that your teen has successfully completed their drivers ed and are onto practical driving challenges. You have another driver in the family but bottom-line in fiscal matters is that it's not likely going to happen so teach your teen how to save early on. Remember what it was like when you finished your drivers ed experience and went out into the real world -- some of your practical insight is just the thing to getting your teen on the right road as safe and successful drivers.