Good (And Bad) News: Your Teenager Is Now A Teen Driver
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August 18, 2006 | By: 
Comments (12) |
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This month, we focus on safety tips for parents of teen drivers (as well as for teen drivers themselves). Next month, we will focus more on keeping your insurance costs at bay once you add your teen driver to your policy.
Follow Your State’s Rules
Many states now require longer periods of supervised instruction before a teenager can get their driver’s license. Also, many states put restrictions on driving with passengers and driving at night. For example, in California, teenage drivers cannot have passengers under the age of 20 in their car or drive between the hours of 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. unless they have a licensed driver over the age of 25 in the car with them (these restrictions last for the first year). Check your state’s department of motor vehicles website to find out what the specific laws in your state are.
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Place Limits On Teen Driving
Even if your state does not have restrictions in place such as the ones listed above, you as a parent should set certain restrictions on your teen driver, at least in the beginning. It is a well-known fact that more teen driving accidents occur at night (especially weekend nights), or when the driver is distracted by things like other teen passengers. In fact, according to the IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety): In 2003, 54% of teen deaths from motor vehicle crashes occurred on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday; 42% occurred between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. Other studies show that the presence of teen passengers increases the crash risk of unsupervised teen drivers, and that the risk increases with the number of teen passengers.
Limit Cell Phone Usage While Driving
What’s another cause of distraction for the modern teen driver? Cell phone usage. The III (Insurance Information Institute) reports that more and more teens are using hand-held cell phones while driving. According to the III, “More young drivers are using cell phones, according to a February 2005 study from NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration). The study reported that 8 percent of drivers age 16 to 24 were using a hand-held phone during daylight hours in 2004, compared with 5 percent in 2002 and 3 percent in 2000.” Many states have now enacted laws that prohibit teen drivers from using cell phones while driving. If your state is not one of them, be sure to caution your teen driver about talking on the phone while driving.
Discuss Drinking And Driving
Alcohol is also a big factor in many teen driving accidents and deaths. Make sure your teenager is highly aware of the risks of driving under the influence, and that they follow the zero tolerance laws that are in effect in most states for drivers under the age of 21.
Choose A Safe Car For Your Teen
Make sure the car you let your teen use is one designed with safety in mind. Also make sure your child understands the importance of wearing a seat belt.
Take A Ride With Your Teen
Another good tip is to ride periodically with your child in the car. Many teens are wary and safe drivers in the early months after getting their license, and then quickly become overconfident and start ignoring some of the basic rules and regulations of driving. If you drive regularly with your teen, you’ll be able to observe (and hopefully prevent) his or her bad driving habits as they occur.
Remember, auto crashes are still the leading cause of death in people aged 15-20. Make sure your teen understands how important safety is while driving. And tune in next month for tips on keeping your insurance costs at bay once you add your teen driver to your policy.
InsWeb Auto Insurance Learning Center: http://www.insweb.com/learningcenter/auto-default.htm
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Comments (12)
Mas
September 20, 2006 04:43
I have four children. Three are out of the house on their own now.
The fourth will be getting his permit next month.
What has work for me is:
(1.) On car wash day, they all were allowed to back the car out of the driveway, drive it down our street, (which is about two houses long) turn around and come back. This was allowing each week, starting at the age of 12 or 13. Each week they would help me wash the vehicles, they would get to drive the vehicle they help wash.
About three months before their sixteenth b-day, I took them to get their P-permit. They all passed the first time with flying colors and confident.
We were very Blessed, out of the 14 teenage years of driving for the first three children. There was only (known) one citation for inattentive while driving.
EBartScribe
August 27, 2006 15:01
A new paint job on that older, 'speed-around' is just the ticket for pride and social success. . .
When our son starts to drive--just around the time of his 17th B-day--I want to have a nifty "dragon-style" paint-job on his '85 Toyota Celica. This'll also time out with the peak of football season, so when he "gets" his birthday present, it will underscore success on the playing field, as well.
To be sure, we have already purchased the older zip-around and he is practicing doing "stick-shift things" especially being able to handle traffic while he is getting familiar with all of these cockpit manipulations.
The auto has a dented left fender which will be replaced in the next couple of weeks, plus dents taken out of it. And then we plan on a metallic silver for all upward-facing surfaces, with the green-scales fading to blue scales, with dragon front feet and hind feet all along the sides!!!!
Finishing touch will be the eyes, nose and mouth afixed SOMEHOW to the front of the car, with that all important fuzzy tuft
of something glued to the edge of the hood, so the gals can
take pride in touching or tickling it . . . !!
Yeeees, This is "Dad's creation" but I know my boy well enough to know it'll be a hit with him, not to mention a plus for school spirit . . . !
Whadya think ?
-EBartScribe
Vicki Osborne
August 23, 2006 09:15
As a Driver's Ed teacher & owner of a Driver's Ed school I recommend the following (1) know the rules for your state for teenage driving - the rules are constantly changing, it is your responsibility to know them (2) set tough rules for your teen to follow - it is easier to ease up on the rules after they have proven themselves than to toughen up when there are problems (3) make sure they know the repercussions when the rules are broken and FOLLOW THRU when rules are broken - be tough, this is life or death (4) quiz the driving school what they cover & don't cover when you purchase their services (5) continue to quiz/discuss driving "events" as they happen when you are driving or when riding with your teen - the learning process should never end
johnj
August 23, 2006 08:57
As a former driver ed teacher, I was a little more conservative with my kids driving.
No friends in the car for six month and you can't ride with anyone who hasn't had a license for six months.
500 miles with dad before being on own.
No night driving until 500 miles are up and you have driven with dad at night.
I also found that time on the riding lawn mower before driving was very helpful.
Tom Rohde
August 22, 2006 19:43
When my daughter started driving, she had to attend a private driving school and had to log 500 miles with the teacher prior to graduation. Before she could drive by herself she had to log another 1,000 miles with my wife and me in various driving conditions.
Rules of 1) no cell while vehicle in motion and 2) not more than 2 riders until 2 years experience, 3) a speeding ticket automatically revokes driving privileges for 3 months were also set up in advance. My daughter doesn't drink, but she knows that 4) if she has even a sip she leaves the car and calls one of us for a ride, no matter what the time.
Almost 2 years in and we're doing great - she even learned to drive a manual transmission along the way! My son I fear, will be a bigger project however.....I hear the grey hairs growing already!
Somebody from Boston
August 22, 2006 15:16
i'm calling from Boston, Ma. one of the Best things u can do for ur kid is
1. let them get their own car.
2.Driving schools teach you the VERY BASICS,these kids aren't getting enough quality time behind the wheel.
I took my kids out after they had Drivers ED.and was I disappointed. It cost them no me 379.00 and they knew NOTHING, they had no idea how to merge into traffic,curb park,backing up i felt my heart stop. N.E. is a 4 season state. drivers ed didn't take them out in the rain,snow,dusk,darkness or early morning,they never went driving with the radio on so I had to reteach them all over again, then I waited several weeks until I knew they were off gaurd and I'd tell them lets go for a ride,Or I would follow them to see how they were doing and how many if any friends were in the car. You might say that this is overkill but I wanted my kids to have as much experience as possible.
Nothing made me more happier is when they came to me and saids THANKS DAD for teaching me the proper way to drive
STEVE
August 22, 2006 14:04
I am a Drivers Education teacher and the best advice is to make sure you know if the upcoming intersection is controlled or uncontrolled and if you can stop regardless. I have noticed over the years, drivers just driving right through a controlled intersection they were supposed to stop at. Over 95% of all crashes are at intersections.
Paul Herold
August 22, 2006 12:18
I sent my teens to a top-notch driving school, the owner of which advised all parents to limit teen passengers for new teen drivers. It was the best advice I didn't listen to. With about six weeks of independent driving under his belt, my teen took a mini-van full of friends to a graduation party. No one was hurt, but they didn't get to the party because they crashed. Experience like that is a harsh teacher, for my teen and me. I won't put my upcoming teen driver in the same position.
Sharon
August 22, 2006 11:56
When my son became an official licensed driver i thought my God the insurance and oh my God what if..... then common sense kicked in and i realized grades are good he has a level head and he is working part time so he got his report card and we got his insurance!
Surprise it wasn't that much and he kept his grades up so he could keep his priviledge of driving and also i gave him my trust and he hasn't let me down yet! Oh, at least i can give you peace of mind, give your teenager that trust and respect, if you raised him with those qualities thn you can believe they willl not let you down on purpose. I beleive when i got my license at 16 i must have set my parents on edge whether i was going to be resposible and cautious, that is a big test for parents to actually see all they have invested in their child rearing days, come to the surface and shine.
Kim
August 22, 2006 10:45
We have a 21 yo, and 18 yo and three not-yet-driving children. My best advice is: get an umbrella policy, take the faceplate off the radio for the first several months and don't allow them to drive the interstate (or beltway) for the first six months. A side benefit to the last one is that if you get into traffic, they can tell you what side streets will get you where you need to go!
Mona Bedard
August 22, 2006 10:41
One thing we wished we would have done. Get their eyes checked!
Our daughter had yearly check-ups with her pediatrician. Only to find out from the optomotrist after a few accidents that she could not legally drive with the eyesight she had.
Donald Johnson
August 18, 2006 14:20
I really hate the young drivers who race on the freeway and weav in and out of traffic. They have no sense of other people's lives and I just hope that they don't kill somebody else. Unfortunately, some will learn the hard way.