Hitting the Road

What Parents Need to Know About Teens Behind the Wheel

By Jennifer Nelson

With the advent of my son's 16th birthday came some new and challenging experiences, especially driving. While many teens look forward to this milestone birthday, parents riding shotgun know the often scary and startling statistics that come with teen driving. If you have a teen driver in your home or soon will – listen up. There are some things that both parents and teens need to know.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reports that 16-year-old drivers get in wrecks nearly nine times more often than those ages 20 and over. For 17-year-olds the rate is six times higher than the adult rate. According to the American Automobile Association (AAA), teens account for only 7 percent of all drivers, yet they are involved in 14 percent of all fatal auto accidents and 20 percent of all accidents.

The statistics are scary and seem to reflect poorly on teen drivers. However, facts and figures are not a personal reflection of every teen's judgment. But sweet 16 or not, teens and their parents need to be aware of the numbers and understand how to decrease the chances of harm and increase the chances for safe, crash-free driving.

Although most states still license drivers at age 16, it's not a magic number indicating that your teen is experienced and safe behind the wheel. "Young drivers need to have experience, because they often don't realize what's involved with operating a motor vehicle," says Norma Cooper of the AAA Motor Club. "They have great reflexes, but they have no frame of reference to put their judgments in."

Only you can decide when your teen is ready to drive without adult supervision, and riding with your teen while he practices on a learner's permit is a great way to judge his skills. If your teen is not logging 30 minutes to an hour of practice each week, you're wasting precious learning experiences. All those errands and after-school activities around town are perfect trips for driving practice. "I just can't stress enough about getting experience behind the wheel," Cooper says.

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