So, your son or daughter has just got a driver’s licence and they are now out on the roads without you by their side. You are worried about them and you want to do everything you can to keep them as safe as possible.

 What can you do?

Well, here are 5 ways to help keep them stay safe on the roads:

1. Buy cars with 5 star ANCAP safety rating

The last thing you want is for someone to be involved in a collision but, if a collision does occur, you want the vehicle that your loved ones are in, to be as crashworthy and safe as possible.

One thing you can do is to ensure that the car your son, daughter or spouse is driving has a high ANCAP rating. The Australasian New Car Assessment Program, or ANCAP, provides consumers with independent information on the level of safety a vehicle provides for occupants and pedestrians in the event of a crash, as well as its ability — through technology — to avoid or minimise the effects of a crash.

Basically, the more stars the better!

5 stars is the highest rating and one star is the lowest! You can simply go to www.ancap.com.au and check out the ratings of a huge range of passenger, SUV and light commercial vehicles in the Australian market.

2. Invest in a safe or defensive driver course

Driving skills develop with experience but one thing that can help fast-track the development of those skills is by investing in a defensive driver course – it may be the best present you could give a loved one!

Defensive driving is about anticipating road and traffic hazards and responding ahead of time so that you can protect yourself and others from dangerous and unexpected driving situations before they become a problem. It’s the best way to avoid accidents and become a smarter driver.

3. Ensure the car is regularly serviced and that tyres are safe

Driving an unreliable or unsafe car is a recipe for disaster. When you need to accelerate, brake or veer to avoid an accident, you need to have a car that will respond safely and quickly. A “safe” car can become “unsafe” if, for example, the brakes are faulty, the tyres need replacing or the engine has a problem.

An unreliable car can also lead to your son, daughter or spouse being stranded alone in the middle of the night and you certainly don’t want that to happen.

So, ensure the car is serviced regularly, the tyres have sufficient tread and are at the right tyre pressure and act on any unusual sound, vibration or engine problem by seeking mechanical advice as soon as it is detected.

4. Buy a GPS car tracker

A reliable GPS car tracker enables you to know exactly where your son, daughter or spouse is at any time while they are driving, giving you complete peace of mind. Many vehicle GPS trackers are designed for fleet management purposes and lead to high ongoing monthly or annual fees. The LiveTrek range of GPS trackers including the LiveTrek Stealth (Available Here) is designed for personal use and tracks the vehicle using a free smartphone app called iCar. Because you are doing all the monitoring yourself, there are no ongoing fees and you simply pay for the data used by the SIM card within the tracker. $15 is the maximum cost for a full year of monitoring! You can even set a virtual boundary around the vehicle and receive alerts if the car moves outside that boundary or set a park mode and you will be alerted as soon as the car starts moving.

5. Insist they text you when they leave and arrive

If you don’t have a GPS tracker then insist that your son, daughter or spouse text you when they leave or arrive at a destination – especially if it is late at night. Unfortunately, this is often less reliable than having that GPS tracker on board because their phone may have run out of battery, they may forget to text or maybe even choose to ignore your well-meaning suggestion. If you don’t receive that text, you might be even more worried, so maybe think again about that GPS tracker purchase.

Seeing your son or daughter gaining some independence and confidence when they receive a driver’s licence and being able to drive on the road without you is a proud and significant moment for you. But, at the same time, it also means that you will worry about their safety – especially in the first few years. Hopefully these 5 tips will help overcome some of that concern and keep them safer out there on the road.