School’s almost out for the summer, and if your teenager is of driving age, they will most likely be taking the car to their summer job, summer school, or out with friends. Due to teens’ limited experience on the road, they might not know what to do if their car breaks down or starts acting weird while they’re driving.
 
May is National Youth Traffic Safety Month, and we thought it would be a good idea to provide some quality tips you can share with your teen, so they don’t end up stranded on the side of the road. Here are three things they should try to remember if their car breaks down…
 
1) Get off the road. If the car breaks down or stops running properly, if it’s possible, move the vehicle to the right side of the road. Avoid stopping the car in an active traffic lane, because that could cause even more problems. Once the car is on the right side of the road, apply the parking break and turn the steering wheel to the opposite direction of the road so the car doesn’t roll into oncoming traffic.
 
2) Call for help. Make sure there is a working and fully charged cell phone any time your teen hits the road; you never know when an emergency will occur. Have emergency assistance, AAA, or roadside assistance phone numbers saved in your phone. Also, stay prepared and have safety items in your car such as flashlights, fire hazard triangles, and a first aid kit.
 
3) Alert others with lights, signals. Immediately turn on the emergency flashers to signal to other cars there’s a problem. Once stopped, if it is safe to exit the car, use flares or hazard triangles to alert other cars about 50 feet behind the car, in order to give other motorists adequate notice that there is a problem. Also, raise the hood of the car or tie a white cloth to the door handle, if one is available, as a signal to police that assistance is needed.
 
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