New Driver Checklist

Safety Tips for Teens and Parents

Parents are typically as nervous as teens when teens get behind the wheel. Keep in mind these 10 tips help calm nerves and get everyone on the right track to lifelong safe driving habits.

1. Get behind-the-wheel driver training for a teen with a learners permit, even if your state does not require it. Look for a drivers ed program during which the instructor sits beside the new driver as he drives.

Why is this important? New drivers will be trained by a licensed professional to respond to a variety of real-life situations. Some parents are good teachers, but not many are certified professional driving instructors who are used to dealing with emergencies that may arise while teaching.

Additionally, completing this drivers education course may net you an insurance discount. Ask your insurance provider for details.

2. The parent should comment on safety issues and safety laws as he drives the teen around, even after the teen has a permit. For example, comment on how to negotiate a tricky intersection. Note aloud when your speed should be decreased, and when a highway merge should take place. This kind of information is valuable for teen drivers. Parents should even admit to their mistakes and note how they should have corrected them.

3. After the teen gets her drivers permit, let her drive as much as possible. Most states require a minimum of 50 hours of driving before moving on to the next license, but the more driving you can let the teen get, the better. Aim for a variety of conditions – night driving, surface driving, driving in the rain – so you can monitor your child’s reactions and adjust his skills. You can also help him by pushing buttons, like the window defogger.

4. Ban the cell phone. Teach your teen to turn the ringer off and put the phone away – out of sight – while driving. Even handsfree headsets can be distracting. The only reason to use a cell phone is in case of an emergency, while pulled over.

5. Speak in a calm voice and do not criticize while the teen is driving. This will only make a new driver nervous. Save a critique until you are safe at home in your living room.

6. Consider waiting until teens are 17 before allowing a drivers license or learners permit. This extra year makes a difference, as the accident rates for 17 year olds is lower than for 16 year olds. (Of course, in some states, this is mandatory.)

7. Once the teen has a drivers license and is allowed to ferry other people around, meet these friends. Or, depending on your child’s friends and personality, you can even make it a rule that they are not allowed to drive friends around at all. According to Edmunds, a recent study showed that a 16-year-old driver with three or more passengers is three times as likely to die in a wreck.

8. Insist on safety. Daily reminders to put on seatbelts, to not drive intoxicated, and to not ride with intoxicated people can save a life. Consider telling your teen that you will give him or her a ride home instead of driving drunk (punishment can come in the morning).

9. Make sure the car is safe. Many teens drive older cars, but these should still have working brakes and equipment. If you choose an older car for your teen, choose one that’s built like a tank and has a good safety record.

10. Require that your child spend some of his or her own money to pay for insurance. This teaches responsibility and will make the teen less likely to take risks, when the consequence is so direct.