If a house were a book, an electric garage door would be a silent and insignificant character, hardly noticeable on a day-to-day basis as it obediently responds to demands.

This might be the case in most homes, but not one where both a teenager and an older person are learning to drive at the same time. In this case, an electric garage door can become an object to outsmart the young man and a source of unease for the “old man”, and an object for both to misjudge and misjudge.

Life has rarely been routine since my daughter and mother decided it would be “great” to study driver education together. As they come together to study the rules of the road, and I add up the damage to my garage door from its various mishaps, I established what might be called the “Rules of the Garage.”

Some of these safety tips are born from experience; others were provided by one of the few garage door companies that cares about the safety of its customers. Together, they’ve become a new family mantra, quickly recited before one of them, the main characters in our daily family drama, even thinks about grabbing the car keys:

1. Make sure your exterior garage lights are on at night, and if they aren’t, move very slowly through the driveway. Leaving the lights on often takes a planned family effort, but it’s worth it, especially if you have a dark-colored door that can appear open at night.
2. Wait until the door is fully open before entering or exiting the garage. It’s easy to misjudge the height of a vehicle, especially when you’re in a hurry. And the second or two you think you’re saving before the door is fully opened is not worth the cost resulting from vehicle damage and the higher auto insurance premium you can follow.
3. Always look back twice when leaving the garage. Before you even put the car in reverse, look back. Then check again to make sure the door is fully open before continuing.
4. Buy a garage door with a motion sensor. Here’s a lesson many homeowners learn the hard way, with or without new drivers in the house. Like a vigilant mother / daughter, a sensor detects problems; detects movement around the door and rolls it back up to avoid an accident.
5. Consider painting the interior door a light, reflective, or even slightly fluorescent color. Here’s another lesson straight from the School of Hard Knocks. If you resist the idea, try to remember that no one will see the unconventional color except the people who routinely pull a car out of the garage. You may be sold on the idea when you see the brake lights illuminate the door, providing an additional degree of safety.
6. Keep fingers and devices away from garage door cables, pulleys, and springs. What appears to be an “easy fix” can negate a more complicated repair, which should be left to professionals with the right tools and experience.
7. Buy a sturdy door for your garage. This quiet and insignificant character has a fun way of taking center stage, signaling the wisdom of investing in a durable door. One made of aluminum or steel can withstand repeated use and the occasional bump.
8. Reserve a place in your car for your garage door opener and keep it there at all times. If you don’t, you might have to fumble for the opener in the dark. In a distracted state, with your car running but with your foot on the brake, your car could creep forward and, you guessed it, hit the garage door. While you’re at it, hide the opener in a console or glove compartment so it’s not visible to potential car and home burglars.
9. Keep your door in top condition. Like other electronic devices, a garage door that begins to bang, creak, or squeak is a door that is literally screaming for repair, and again, only for a reputable garage door repair service company. .

Naturally, accidents happen even when people are careful. But you can do a lot to keep people, cars, and your garage door safe by putting these sensible tips into action. One family, with two newly minted licensed drivers, found out the hard way.