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Car Care

Getting Your Teen Driver Ready For The Road

Posted: 7/21/2010

Show your teen driver how to check the oil in the vehicle.

(NAPSI)-There's good news for parents who have a teen who's ready to begin driving. There are practical steps you can take to keep your teen safe when he or she hits the road.

Not only is it important for your new driver to know how to be a safe and responsible driver, it's equally as important to know the basics about the car itself and what to do in an emergency. Here are some tips:

• Take the time to get to know your vehicle. Whether it's brand new or a well-used family vehicle, have your teen take the time to review the owner's manual.

• Show your teen driver how to check the oil, transmission and steering fluids, and point out where the engine, battery, air filter and radiator are located, as well as the reservoirs to fill for the radiator and windshield washer.

• Teens can be notoriously hard on vehicles when driving, and they don't always adhere to good maintenance practices. Those are compelling reasons to upgrade to one of the new generation of motor oils. For instance, high-performance lubricant manufacturer Royal Purple formulates its synthetic motor oil to achieve extremely high oxidation stability. This allows for more miles between oil changes and provides an extra degree of protection against haphazard maintenance. Royal Purple's lubricants have also been shown to improve fuel economy, which can save you money on fuel.

• The exterior of the vehicle is important, too. Make sure the headlights and taillights are all in working order. Check that the wiper blades are properly cleaning your windshield. Invest in a tire pressure gauge, which, in addition to the traditional pencil style, is now available in digital models.

• In the event of an emergency, make sure your teen driver knows where the registration and insurance cards are kept. An easy-to-access place is the glove box. Glove box organizers or registration wallets are great ways to keep those important documents together.

• While parents can't control other drivers or situations that teen drivers might encounter on the road, they can at least provide the basic tools in a Roadside Emergency Kit. Memberships to auto clubs and a GPS on a cell phone can be helpful, but not always accessible depending on where the incident occurs.

Preassembled emergency kits are available for purchase, but even if you create your own kit, make sure you review with your teen how to use each item in it, such as roadside flares, a quart of oil, a small first aid kit, extra fuses, a flashlight, a multipurpose tool that includes pliers, wire cutters, pocketknife, bottle opener, saw, screwdrivers and files, a tire inflator, rags, a pen and paper, and a help sign or white cloth to signal for help.

To learn more about Royal Purple products, visit www.royalpurple.com.

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