Having a teen in the house who can legally drive is a double-edged sword. You are no longer mom’s (or dad’s) cab service, and you don’t have to set your social calendar around what they are doing, but there are a host of new things to be worried about.  

These can make you reluctant to give your teen their freedom, but by making sure you have everything in order in a few important areas, you can keep your headaches and your stress levels to a bare minimum.

#1 Buy the Best Car They (or You) Can Afford

They will want to get out on the road as quickly as possible, and you don’t want to be rescuing them from the roadside every time they break down. So, you need to make sure they buy the best car they can afford, even if you must top up their funds a little to get something more reliable. This will give you peace of mind that they are not driving around in a death trap, and they get a slightly better car than they pictured having.

Even though this looks like a win/win on paper, there will still have to be compromises made, as you will no doubt have different ideas of what is a good car. So, take it slow and steady and look through what is available until you find something that your both (sort of) agree on. The chances are that they will want you to look over it anyway before they buy, so you can make sure they are not being sold a lemon.

#2 Get the Right Insurance

One of the concerns you will have while looking will be insurance. New drivers are typically only offered eye-wateringly expensive deals, which can take a huge lump out of their car fund and monthly outgoings for the next few years. That said, you still don’t want to be paying more than you need to, and this can lead to hours spent searching the internet for the best deals.

Instead of doing all of this yourself, you could go to the best insurance broker Ottawa has to offer (or one closer to home if you live elsewhere) and let them do the hard work for you. Rather than grapple with different deals and pages of small print yourself, you could leave it up to the experts, who can find the cover you need, as well as peace of mind for the best price.

#3 Let Them Put Their Stamp on It

Once this is all set up, you can let them put their stamp on the vehicle. After all, owning your first car is very much a rite of passage, so they will want to make the most of the whole experience. This may just involve a sound system that is audible from space (just like you had) or might also include full body wraps of various ‘mods’ that set it apart from everything else on the road.

Whatever they choose, you’ll need to make sure it doesn’t affect the safety of the car or contravene any laws. Aside from this, you give your teen their first real taste of freedom, and perhaps start to enjoy yours for the first time in years.