When teens get their licenses, parents are often nervous for them to get behind the wheel for the first time. When teens begin driving without supervision, parents will usually become even more anxious. Every parent is forced to rely on their knowledge that they raised their teen to have good judgment and common sense and to make smart decisions. In order for parents to feel more confident that their teen will make it home safely, here are five tips to help keep teens safe on the road:

1. Do not text while driving. Texting is very distracting and takes away focus and concentration on the road. It is always important to make sure that a driver’s eyes are on the road at all times. Teens should keep the cell phone in the back seat of the car while driving in order to prevent them from getting distracted or being tempted to answer the phone.

2. Be sure to remain hands-free while driving. Talking on the phone while driving can be just as dangerous as texting. If a teen does not have access to Bluetooth, they are using one hand to hold the phone, and therefore will no longer have both hands on the wheel. Keeping the phone in the backseat not only prevents texting but it also prevents answering phone calls as well. It is important for teens to have both hands available at all times while driving.

3. Put a limit on the amount of passengers in the car. Teens often volunteer to drive around several of their friends. Too many passengers can easily become a major distraction for teenage drivers. Therefore, it is a smart idea for teens not to have more than one passenger at a time. Setting the limit to one passenger will minimize the distractions and allow for them to more easily focus on the road.

4. Teens should have a set curfew for when they drive at night. It is much safer for teens if they arrive home at a reasonable time. This will reduce the likeliness of them becoming too tired, not being able to focus on the road, or falling asleep. Also, this will prevent them from being on the road with other unsafe drivers late at night.

5. Keeping the music to a minimum is also a smart idea for teenage drivers. Every teen feels a need to listen to music while driving, but it is important for them to minimize their use of iPods and MP3 players. Worrying about changing songs on such devices can be just as distracting as using a cell phone while driving. Satellite radio is a smart alternative to the use of an iPod or MP3 player.

6. Sign your teen up with a good roadside assistance program. If your teen gets stuck on the side of the road or finds themselves in any kind of roadside emergency it is a good idea for them to be able to call for assistance to help get them safely back on the road.

It may not be easy to enforce a lot of rules or keep your teen safe all of the time, but if there are a limited amount of distractions they are much more likely to return safely home.