Preparing Your Teen for the Road Ahead

Summer is a time for adventure and fun for most teens, including trips to the beach and joy rides around town. However, more time spent driving also puts teens at greater risk of getting into a fatal car accident. The 100 days between Memorial Day and Labor Day represent the deadliest days for teen drivers, with an average of 13 teen deaths per day. Parents can greatly reduce this risk by setting limits on how, when, and where their teen is driving. 

AAA suggests the following tips for parents to keep teen drivers safe: 

Restrict driving and trips without purpose

Teens have three times as many fatal crashes as all other drivers, based on the number of miles driven. Parents should limit teens’ driving to essential trips at least for the first year of driving. 

Become an effective driving coach

The best way for new teen drivers to gain experience is through parent-supervised practice driving, where parents can share their wisdom. Even after a teen has a license that allows solo driving, parents and teens should continue to practice driving together to help the teen interpret more complex driving situations. 

Limit the number of teen passengers and time as a passenger

Teen crash rates increase with each teen passenger in the vehicle. Fatal crash rates for 16- to 19-year-olds increase fivefold when two or more teen passengers are present versus when teens drive alone. Also, riding with a teen driver can be risky for teen passengers. Crash risk begins to increase at the age of 12, well before a teen can obtain a driver’s permit or license – and before many parents start to think about their children being at risk riding as a passenger of a teen driver. Parents should set firm rules against driving with teen passengers and restrict their teens from riding as a passenger with a teen driver.  

Establish a parent-teen driving agreement

Many parents and teens find written agreements help set and enforce clear rules about night driving, passengers, access to the car, and more. AAA offers a parent-teen agreement on its teen driver safety website, TeenDriving.AAA.com. 

Set a good example

Even though parents may not realize it, they teach their children how to driveway before they receive their driver’s permit. Try to steer away from risky driving habits such as getting angry in traffic, eating, applying makeup, and using a cell phone.  

Parenting a teen driver is a nerve-wracking experience, but you can help your teen be safer by letting the reins out—slowly.