Back to School Young Driver Checklist
Supplies and Tips to Make Sure Young Drivers Hit the Road Safely
As the summer season comes to a close, parents of new and college-aged drivers are likely concerned about what heading back to school to hit the books might entail.
Young drivers are hitting the road as well – and each new school year brings a fresh crop of sixteen-year-olds who will be driving for the first time. Each new year brings a new generation of freshmen making poor decisions on the road.
Nexar understands the importance of making sure that new and young drivers are safe when driving and while parked, which is why we’ve compiled this handy back-to-school checklist for young drivers going back to the scholarly grind.
Safety and Security
First, let’s go over some safety and security measures. It’s a good idea to keep a first aid kit handy in all vehicles that are driven in the family, including vehicles for young drivers.
First Aid Kit Essentials
A good first aid kit might include:
- Band-Aids of various sizes/shapes for various purposes/injuries
- Tweezers
- Medical shears (or scissors)
- Burn ointment
- Antibacterial ointment
- Over-the-counter pain relievers
- Antiseptic wipes
- Disposable gloves
- Gauze
Read on for a few more tips for your back-to-school checklist.
Dash Cam Security with Nexar LTE Protection Plan
A dash cam system is essential for safety, security, and for capturing any possible incidents that can occur to a young driver. Here at Nexar, we provide dash cam systems that cover and complement a wide variety of lifestyles and driving circumstances, including students making daily commutes and new drivers who might need a little more monitoring than more mature drivers.
In such situations, we recommend a roadview and cabin view system, which records and covers the road ahead in addition to monitoring what’s going on inside of the vehicle. We know that young drivers like driving around with friends, and it’s a good idea to have a second pair of eyes on the happenings.
Not sure where to start? Nexar offers three different LTE-connected dash cam configurations – one of which is sure to be suited for your young driver’s needs.
Emergency Kit
In addition to a first aid kit, keeping an emergency bag/kit in the trunk of the vehicle is also a great idea. Your emergency kit should include water, non-perishable food items, a flashlight, a zero-degree sleeping bag, wool socks and gloves, a warm hat that covers the ears, a lighter, strike anywhere matches (and any other forms of firestarter), emergency flares, and any other survival items that might be handy for an emergency situation.
In your kit or vehicle, keep a basic tool set that has everything you need to do basic work on the vehicle (like changing a tire or replacing the battery).
You can make one of these kits for every vehicle and prepare a kit for each member of the household to store wherever they stay/live during the school year. For instance, if you have a college student heading back to the dorms, they’d keep their emergency kit in the dorm just for the sake of being prepared.
Check Tires, Windshield Wipers, Fluids
Make sure that your young driver’s car is well-equipped with all the current safety features. Make sure that engine oil, transmission fluid, coolant, and brake fluid are checked, flushed out, and replaced with new fluid (if needed).
Check all tires and make sure there is a good amount of tread. Make sure tires are properly inflated – you can do this by using a tire pressure gauge.
Make sure that windshield wipers are in good working order and there is plenty of windshield wiper fluid as well.
Keeping Necessary Documentation (Digital and Printed)
Make sure your young driver carries things like registration and proof of insurance. Many insurance providers offer digital copies of this documentation, which is convenient but not always pragmatic. You may not be able to pull up this documentation if your device is drained of power or if you’re experiencing connectivity issues.
Keep digital copies of your records for convenience, but also keep a printed copy of your proof of insurance along with the vehicle registration in a waterproof pouch in the glove box for easy access.
Another handy glove box addition is a laminated list of emergency contacts. Again, this comes in handy if a smart device is out of power or not available.
For college students, make sure their college parking permit is ready for day 1 of school – usually it’s a sticker that goes on the windshield or a device that provides access.
Nexar dash cam systems come especially handy in crowded parking scenarios that universities (no matter how small or how large) always seem to present. With the LTE Protection Plan, your young driver can utilize features like Parking Mode and remote live streaming to monitor activity, not to mention record any impact or collisions in real time, saving them instantly to the cloud for easy access down the road.
Car Care – Know the Basics
Before a young driver hits the road (especially while flying solo), they should know a few things about car care and vehicle maintenance. Otherwise, costly issues can arise. College is already expensive. Taking good care of a vehicle can save thousands in repairs and extend the life of a vehicle. Not doing so can cost hundreds or thousands, or even worse, result in needing to purchase a new car.
Not only that, car trouble can end up ruining an entire day or worse, making it hard for your young driver to make it to class and whatever other extracurricular activities they may have, which can affect their grades. Staying on top of routine maintenance will help avoid wasting time on something that has nothing to do with their college education.
Protecting the car with a Nexar dash cam and the LTE Protection Plan can also help your young driver avoid costly insurance claims and time spent going back and forth with third parties.
At any rate, educate your young driver about how to:
- Check oil, coolant, and tire pressure.
- Change a flat.
- Respond properly (and legally) to a fender bender.
- Use the Nexar app to download and share incident clips; know how to use the app before an incident occurs so you can navigate an adverse situation successfully.
Pro Parent Tip: Do a “mock” parking lot accident to help them practice the next steps in a simulated stressful situation.
Cool Back-to-School Gear for Young and New Drivers
Before heading back to school, make sure your young driver has:
- A reusable water bottle
- Sunglasses (for morning and late afternoon drives)
- Hand sanitizer – gel and wipes
- Car organizer (for school supplies, athletic gear, etc.)
- Bluetooth car adapter if their car doesn’t have it built-in
Pro Parent Tip: Upgrade your young driver’s ride with front to back coverage. A rear view camera will capture any fender benders coming from behind. Threats and collisions are just as likely to happen from the rear as they are from the front.
After selecting your dash cam setup with a rearview camera, you can purchase Nexar’s 16ft Power Cable for extended reach to connect your Nexar rearview camera to the front of the vehicle easily and effortlessly.
Nexar: the Smartest Back-to-School Upgrade
With traffic, adapting to new environments, and endless distractions, young drivers face enough challenges on the road. Nexar’s dash cams offer real-time protection, 24/7 monitoring, and cloud-backed video evidence that can make all the difference in the event of an accident or event.
Bundle your young driver’s dash cam with the LTE Protection Plan – give them a smart, reliable driving sidekick that inspires safer, more confident/connected driving.
Final Thoughts
Sending a teen or college student out on the road is always a little nerve-wracking. But with the right gear—and the right technology—they’ll be driving safer and smarter all school year long.
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