Parents as Co-Pilots

Driving is licensed by the state, but for a teen, it is a privilege granted by parents. It is completely appropriate to insist on some say regarding how and when a new driver gets behind the wheel, even if he or she is not driving the family car.

Parental responsibility does not end when the teen has a permit in hand. Recent studies find that teens demonstrate the safest driving behavior when parents remain involved in driver education even after teens are licensed drivers.

Your obligation goes beyond helping your child secure a permit and then a license. You must help your teen become a safe driver. It's a continuing effort, but well worth it.

How can you help?

• Invest in driver training from a reputable organization.
• Commit to a practice schedule. Accompany your teen on practice drives in increasingly challenging locations and conditions. The risk of a crash drops significantly among teens that have been supervised for 50 hours of practice driving before they drive solo.
• Keep your cool during practice sessions. Provide feedback in a respectful tone. Look for opportunities for positive reinforcement.
• Introduce privileges gradually. Allow independent driving only after much practice and for limited amounts of time in low-traffic situations. Allow longer sessions on busier roads, night driving, driving in inclement weather, and with passengers only after a driver demonstrates safe operation for several months, in accordance with the GDL restrictions in your state.
• Plan ahead for challenges you are likely to face. A parent-teen driving contract is a good line of defense against compromising on safety on special occasions such as proms, holidays, or school trips.
• Take a refresher course yourself so that any coaching you deliver will reinforce, not contradict, instruction from your teen's driving instructor. A refresher course sends a powerful message that skills should be assessed and improved throughout a driving career.
• Attend a parents' night class at your child's driver training facility.
• Work through your community association to have a meeting for parents and talk about the limits you've placed on your teen's driving.
• Talk to adult leaders of groups your teen is involved in – sports teams, school band, church youth group, after school clubs, etc. – about setting up a meeting for parents.
• Ask community groups and businesses that employ a large number of teens to facilitate conversation about teen driving.
• Review your state's laws about the graduated driver licensing (GDL) laws. For more information on GDL visit www.AAA.com/publicaffairs.

Next: Driving is Only Part of Being a Driver