Be Sure to Teach Your Young Drivers Basic Automotive Maintenance

Driver’s education classes rarely include instruction on vehicle maintenance. Tuffy reminds parents that someone must be responsible for teaching young drivers basic automotive maintenance. After all, one day this teen is going to buy a car, which probably will be her second biggest investment. Here’s how to help make it a better one.
Your new driver needs to understand that any vehicle, regardless of age, needs routine maintenance. Make sure she knows and follows the maintenance schedule for her vehicle. In addition to making a car safer to drive, proper maintenance can save thousands of dollars during a lifetime of driving.
Take her on a field trip with you to the repair facility, the tire store, the body shop and wherever you have automotive work performed. Get her accustomed to the automotive world - its people, places, jargon and prices.
Make a plan. What happens if the car breaks down, she has a wreck or the car gets stolen? What if no adults are home to receive the panic call? Whether you want your teenager to call your family repair facility or Aunt Sadie, give her some instruction and put important phone numbers in her billfold.
Don't overlook your owner's manual. It’s full of information about the car that your young driver may never know unless she is familiar with this automotive bible.
There are hundreds of books available on this subject. Many are written specifically for non-technical audiences; some are even humorous. Get a few and make them required reading for the licensing process.