It takes most teenagers some time to familiarize themselves with their automobiles and fine-tune their driving skills. Until that happens, we repair a lot of windshields broken by teenage drivers. Auto safety is important, and you should always talk to your teenagers about auto glass safety. You and your teenager can improve the longevity of your car’s windshield by simply improving certain driving skills. The way the car moves, drives, and interacts with other cars on the road affects all your car’s parts, especially the glass.

Good Driving Habits for First-Time Drivers & Teens

First-time drivers, including teenagers, make a lot of mistakes when they are new to navigating the road. Here are a few common ones to avoid:

• Tailgating - teens, and adults are guilty of absentmindedly tailgating other cars. Teens may often drive in groups with their friends and pack together, not realizing that the car in front of them is sandblasting their windshield. This means that the car in front of them is kicking up sand, rocks, heat, and dust that are flying into the windshield. So teach your teen to relax and stay a safe distance away from cars in front of them.
• Speeding - Adults are less likely to speed than their younger counterparts, but this is one of the most important things you will talk to your teenager about. There are a lot of terrible things that can happen on the road if you’re speeding. While windshields are designed to take abuse and impact, if there is an accident at an extremely high speed, the windshield can break and shatter into the car. Always make sure you’re providing your teen with high-quality auto glass.
• Slamming doors - Those who are new to cars may overlook the damage done by slamming the front or back doors of a car. This damages the windows and the door track - which stabilizes the windows. Always teach your children and teens to close the door gently but securely. It’ll save you a lot of money and effort in the long run.

These are tactics you can teach your children as soon as they become interested in operating a vehicle. Parents have so many different concerns when their kids first start driving - speeding, tickets, general safety, avoiding accidents - so auto glass safety may be forgotten. Don’t exclude this ultra-important topic when giving a safety speech. After all, auto glass is designed to protect the person inside the car. Thanks to improvements in technology, windshields have been created to avoid injuries for the occupants of the car. Talk to your kids about auto glass safety, you won’t regret it.

Create a Plan

Teaching your child to avoid damaging the car windshield is the most important. It’s also vital to have a plan in place for what your teen should do if the glass breaks while they are driving. They should know how to safely pull over when the windshield is damaged. Teenagers should have the emergency numbers they need, like AAA, the insurance company, and an auto glass repair shop.

Call Your Local Auto Glass Shop for Quality Products

Make sure you and your teenagers know where to go in case there are any problems with your windshield. The experts at Smiley’s Glass have been installing top-notch products for more than 55 years, proudly serving the Richmond, VA area. Our technicians are fully certified by and abide by AGRSS standards when it comes to glass and the installation process. If you’ve got a damaged, cracked, or broken windshield and you’re not sure what you can do about it, take it down to Smiley’s Glass - where one of our friendly staff members will help you find the best solution.