Before you send your teen out on his or her own, it's important to discuss driving safely and the rules of the road. While most parents know this, they don't always remember to talk to their teens about what to do if their car were to break down on the side of the road. The last thing any parent wants is for their kid to be stranded. Use these tips to make sure your teen knows what to do is his or her car breaks down on the side of the road.

Teach Your Teen How to Change a Tire

Before your teen starts driving without parental supervision, you should make sure he or she knows how to change a tire. This basic task could save your teen from needing to call a towing service to have the tire changed. Make sure your teen knows where the spare tire, jack, and tire iron are located, as well as how to use the jack safely. Walk through the entire process with your teen until he or she is confident enough to change the tire alone.

Provide the Phone Number of a Towing Company

It's always good to have the contact of a local towing company, like Blue Eagle Towing, handy when your car breaks down. This way, you don't need to find a company that you can trust when you're aggravated and stressed. Choose a reputable local towing service, and have your teen save the phone number into his or her phone, so it's there if needed.

Teach Your Teen How to Tell the Towing Service Their Location

When you call a towing company from the side of the road, you need to be able to tell the company your location. If your teen is driving in the city, it isn't difficult. However, highway driving is a bit different. Explain to your teen what mile markers are, and how a mile marker makes it easy to locate on the highway. Make sure your teen knows to pay attention to mile markers and exit signs closely while driving, especially if there's any sign of problems with the vehicle.

Talk About Carrying Emergency Cash

If your teen is broke, he or she won't be able to call a towing service for help. It's important to talk to your teen about carrying emergency cash or hiding it in the vehicle. If you want your teen to hide money in the vehicle, you need to be a little sneaky about it's hiding spot. This way, thieves aren't likely to steal the money. You don't want money sitting anywhere obvious. So if you're hiding it in the glove compartment, put it in an envelope and tape the envelope to the inside of the car's owner's manual or an old map. You can also hide money inside an object that thieves aren't likely to steal, such as an empty oil can or an old toy.

Teaching your teen about what to do in an emergency situation isn't difficult, but it's often overlooked. So before your teen starts driving unsupervised, spend some time talking about what should be done if the car randomly breaks down on the side of the road.

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