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As a father of teen who has just obtained his drivers license, apart from a being proud of his achievement I am also extremely worried every time he goes out on his own. I realize he has past his test and has earned his license but even so he is still very inexperienced and there are so many variables on the road that he is unaware of and may not how to react when an emergency arises.

One thing that worries me is the amount of trucks in our area and how he will cope when he is on his own. These are some of the points I have explained to him.

1) Stay out of a truck’s blind spots or as he cannot see your presence and may cut you off.

2) Be careful when attempting to pass a truck. Make sure you have plenty of overtaking room

3) Do not swerve in front of a truck or cause the driver to come to a sudden stop always allowing for the extra stopping room a truck requires.

4) Avoid “Squeeze Play” when a large truck needs to make a wide turn.

5) Do not cut off a large truck or passenger bus.

Of course as a parent I know that most times your children are not really listening which is why I am grateful for GEICO who have added “Teens and Trucks” to its online library of safe driving materials for teen drivers. The brochure, developed with the American Moving and Storage Association, includes valuable information for teens on how to safely share the highway with large trucks. 

The other thing that I have insisted on is automobile insurance and I made sure that this was in force before he was allowed to take the car on the road.