Driving Tips for New College Students

As a college student that lives near campus I have never really had to worry about safety

when driving to campus other than just general driving safety.

I consider this to be a great benefit and stress reducer.

Although I do realize that most college students do not live so close to campus.

This means that they will be driving from long distances to their new housing

arrangement, whether it is a dorm or an apartment.

By informing your child of these tips you can worry less about them while they are at

school.

The first tip to help ensure a safe trip for your college student is to check their vehicle.

This includes checking tire pressure, fluids, lights, and general areas of interest.

This can reduce the chance that your child gets stranded in an unknown location

without a functioning vehicle.

Another important tip is to make sure that there is an accident kit in the vehicle.

Heaven forbid that anything should happen that would require your college student to

need to use this kit.

However, having the kit and not needing it is safer than needing the kit and not having it.

Drive to the campus location with your college student before classes start and

everything gets crazy.

This will help you and your child know the area that they will be living in for the next

four years a lot better.

This is also beneficial to parents when they come to their student’s campus for Parents

Weekend.

Tip number four is to remind your student of general driving safety.

This includes remembering pedestrians.

You may want to drill this into their head, especially if you come from an area with few

or no pedestrians.

Also, remind your child to check local conditions.

Driving to college includes a lot of the same driving techniques they use while driving in a

local area.

One of the most important tips is to remind them not to drink and drive.

Sadly, as parents you know that your child will be attending parties during their time at

school.

This means that they will be tempted to drink.

However, even if you can’t stop your college student from drinking you can always

remind them to find a safe way back to their dorm or apartment.

This could include calling a cab or having a friend of their drive them home.

The final tip that as parents you should make sure your child knows is that good grades

usually equal a discount on their car insurance.

This signals your college student to do well especially if they are paying for their own

insurance.