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Hitting the Road
What Parents Need to Know About Teens Behind the Wheel
By Jennifer Nelson
When a teen gets a license, she's still gaining the experience she'll need to be a safe driver. Rather than simply handing over the keys, it's up to parents to set rules and guidelines regarding when, where, how and with whom teens may drive. Here's a list of some important guidelines:
- Limit the number of passengers in the car. Teens are likely to have trouble concentrating on the road with laughter, music, food and other distractions, which increase with the number of passengers.
- Insist on seatbelts. Teens tend to use their safety belts less frequently than other drivers do. Insist that your teen and all passengers wear safety belts at all times.
- Limit driving during high-risk times. Statistics show that the highest numbers of driving crashes occur on Friday and Saturday nights and early Saturday and Sunday mornings. Limit teen driving during these peak times.
- Take a "no tolerance" stance on drugs and alcohol. Aside from any legal punishment, a violation of driving under the influence should be cause for the revocation of driving privileges by parents.
- Have your teen sign a safe driving contract. Explain how seriously you take the contract.
Although licensing practices vary from state to state, several states have adopted the graduated driver's license (GDL), including Florida and California. It's a three-stage licensing system. Some states have a two-stage licensing program, and parts of Canada, Australia and New Zealand have similar programs.
"[Having a] graduated driver's license means you get your learner's permit, take a class in high school, and then before getting your license, you must log 25 hours behind the wheel," Cooper says. The newer system requires teens to hold their permits at least six months prior to getting a license, log practice hours behind the wheel and receive no moving violations. It also increases the age at which full licensure takes place in some states from age 16 to 17 or 18.
