The Facts  

No matter how much time you have spent with your teen, no matter how good of a student your teen is are and how well they drive, they are at risk.  More than any other age group teens ages 15 to 19 are 4 times more likely to crash than and other age group.  Crashes will kill more teens each year than any other single factor- far exceeding deaths caused by drugs, drinking, suicide, violence or disease.  

As a parent this means that in order to keep your teen as safe as possible you need to help them eliminate distractions and dangerous behavior, as well as continuing to monitor their driving and set a good example yourself.  

It also means that you need to control the keys and set the limits by which your teen can achieve the privilege of driving.  If they break the rules or exhibit poor driving skills or reckless behavior, then it’s time to be a parent and restrict driving until they have overcome their deficit.    

The Mirror Test

When you are driving in the presence of your teen, are you practicing what you teach?  No cell phone/blackberry usage (this means no talking, dialing, checking, texting, emailing, internet use- totally ignoring the device)?  Do you frequently fidget with the radio while the vehicle is in motion?  Are you a calm and defensive driver, respectful of speed limits and road signs and not showing aggressive driving to your teen (ie; tailgating, darting from lane to lane, berating other drivers’ skills, staring down slower or inexperienced drivers)?

Like with drug prevention YOU are the biggest factor in your teen’s success- even if they do not admit it.  Teens who’s parents frequently inquire about drinking and drug use are 12 to 30 times less likely to be affected by those issues as their peers. 

But teens will also mimic your poor habits.  How successful would you be in telling your teen not to take drugs if you are smoking a joint when you tell them?  Likewise how successful will you be if you use your cell phone, speed and disobey basic traffic rules while telling your teen not to do so?  

Sometimes admitting your own faults in front of your teen is the best approach and showing them that they are worth the effort to stop- and then doing it in practice- will create a bond and partnership in their becoming safe drivers. 

What can I do for my teen driver? 

·     Check bad habits at the door.  This is a good time to take inventory of your own driving skills so that your teen sees a rational, calm driver who eliminates their own distractions.  Make sure you don’t use a cell phone, don’t bring food into the car and leave the radio off.  Here's a video about being a good role model for your teen.

·     Make a plan to drive with your teen on a regular basis- and not just at age 16, but until they are out of their teens which is the largest risk for them in their lives.  Whether it be to school, down to the store or even on a short road trip you can use the time to see if their skills are improving.  Here’s a check list and some tips to help you.

·     Show the safest routes  Many times the fastest routes are the more dangerous ways for a newer driver to navigate.  Showing your teen the safest routes can help them look for the safe route when they are on their own.  Explain the reasons for your choice, whether it be a less traveled road with slower speed limits, intersections with a stop light instead of a stop sign- show them how they can find the safer way to get to their destination, even if it takes them a few minutes longer.

·     Be the parent  You are ultimately responsible for the decisions your teen makes when they are driving- and they are likely driving your car and are on your insurance as well.  Regardless the bottom line is that you control the privileges your minor enjoys.  Even though your logic may not compute, explain to your teen why you might be restricting their driving privilege and what they need to do or show you in order to regain your trust.  However, make sure that you also PRAISE what is praiseworthy along with what needs to be improved.  Being overly critical can produce the wrong results, so temper your discussions with both praise and re-direction.

·     Think you can safely drive while talking on your cell phone?  Consider this: cognitive distractions, like what takes place each time you simply talk on the phone (hand held or blue tooth) utilize up to 37% of your attention.  One study, performed at Carnegie Melon University, took fMRI scans of participant’s brains as they drove a simulator (A).  They did the same scan while the subject drove & talked on a cell phone (B).  The scans show a dramatic decrease in the area of the brain that was concentrating on driving alone. This will cause slower reaction times, reduced attention to detail of what’s in front of you and around you- not unlike what happens if you were at or slightly above .08 blood alcohol level.

There are worse distractions than talking on a cell phone but the frequency at which adults are used to using their phones (for many, it’s more than 50% of the time they are driving) make it a much more pervasive and invasive danger on the road.  The overall fact: you are 4 times more likely to cause a crash (adults) when you are talking on a phone. 

That added up to over 6000 deaths and 500,000 crashes in 2009.  Isn’t that enough to put down the phone and just drive?  If not, what will stop your teen who is at even higher risk because they are a novice driver?

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Educational Sites:

   -  Distractology 101 (Arabella Ins. Group)   This is a very informative and interactive teaching tool to get you more familiar with the facts about distracted driving.  Good for Parents and Teens!

Here are 4 great videos (use the "now playing" drop down arrow) that are based on research done by State Farm Insurance and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia that talk about how parents can reduce their teens risk of being involved in a fatal crash by as much as 50%.