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By Susan Gower Today your teenager will get behind the wheel of a car and you will teach him how to drive. Both of you are nervous, and with good reason. According to statistics provided by Tire Rack Street Survival, which operates a non-profit, national driver education program, “Last year, over 5,000 teenagers died in motor vehicle crashes, the leading killer of American youths aged 16 to 19, accounting for more than 40 percent of fatalities in that age bracket.” In another report, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety analyzed data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System. They identified all fatal crashes involving 15-, 16-, and 17-year-old drivers of passenger vehicles. The analysis showed that between 1995 and 2004 crashes involving 15- to 17-year-old drivers claimed the lives of 30,917 people, of which 36.2% were those drivers themselves. However, the majority of fatalities in these crashes were others - 9,847 of their passengers,7,477 occupants of vehicles operated by drivers 18 years of age or older, and 2,323 nonmotorists. So the prospect of riding with an inexperienced teenager behind the wheel can be daunting. But don’t forget that you have been “teaching” your child to drive far longer than you think. From the time she was very small, your child has been watching you drive. If you are a safe driver, your child will come to think that the way you drive is the way everyone is supposed to drive. Similarly, if you have bad driving habits, well, now is the time to correct them. For most of us, driving habits are so ingrained that it is difficult to explain what you do first, and second, and so on. It’s best to assume that your young driver doesn’t know anything. Before you even consider hitting the road, have your teen sit in the driver’s seat and review the proper use of everything; the mirrors, the control panel, the pedals, the emergency flashers, the turn signals, etc. You can use the car’s manual as a checklist. Your child may resist this review session, but once you calmly explain that no on-the-road instruction will take place until they have done it, the resistance will end. When preparing to take your teen on the road, it helps to have a plan. The plan should start out slow and gradually expand to include different types of roads, traffic levels, weather and times of day. The first time you may want to drive the car to a little used destination, such as an empty parking lot. Then have your teen drive around the empty lot, just getting a feel for handling the car, using the pedals and making easy turns. Roads that circle large park areas are good places to begin actually driving, because the speed limits are so low and, if you choose your time correctly, you won’t encounter many other cars. From there you can proceed to country roads, small town and suburban areas and end with city and highway driving, again, slowly advancing from times of little traffic to more hazardous driving. Remember that your teen is trying to learn many new skills at once. Be patient and insist that you not move on to the next level until you are satisfied they are comfortable and ready. If possible, try to let your teen to make some minor mistakes that will not endanger anyone or damage your car. This is very difficult for parents, but good experience for the young driver. Let your teen make hard stops or abrupt starts. Let him slide a little on an icy patch in an empty parking lot. When he makes a minor mistake, do not over-react, yell, or berate the driver. Simply point out what he could do differently next time and have him try it again. And again. When behind the wheel, your teen is in control of the car and it is important for him to get a feel for how the car handles. Think carefully about how you use your driving time. While your teen is behind the wheel, you do have her attention. This is not the time, however, for heated discussions about grades, arguments about curfews, or anything except driving. Instead of being a distraction, remind your teen of the dangers of distractions while driving, such as cell phone and iPod use, and friends in the car, as well as the critical issues of driving under the influence. You may want to have written rules about passengers, cell phone use, etc. You want your teen to understand that she is responsible for the vehicle and anyone in it and that you (the parent) are also responsible if the car and insurance is in your name. Written rules can help your teen resist peer pressure. (“Cut it out, or I’ll never be able to drive again!”) Assistance is also available for parents from AAA, which offers a program called “Teaching Your Teens to Drive.” The program consists of thirteen lessons based on the most common causes of teen-driver crashes - everything from basic vehicle control to freeway and night driving. Parents and teens watch each of the 13 lessons in the 50-minute program together. Then follow the step by step approaches for each section for on the road training. Most teens participate in some form of formal driver’s training program. But many of their practical skills are still learned from practice at home, usually with a parent. Bill Wade, National Program Manager of Tire Rack Street Survival, says “I have been told that the three worst things, in terms of stress level, are public speaking, a major medical procedure and teaching a teen to drive.” Tire Rack Street Survival was formed by the BMW Car Club of America Foundation. The program, built upon the premise that ‘safe driving is learned by doing’, helps teens learn to always think and look ahead. Instruction is given in the student’s own car. “The program does not teach them how to drive,” says Wade. They come to us knowing how to drive. We teach them not how to drive, but how to drive better. What we stress are simple things – like posture, hands on the wheel, proper vision techniques and methods for measuring distance. They also learn emergency braking and skid control We teach them how to deal with things like sudden lane changes and how not to oversteer or understeer.” “Despite more teens dying in car crashes than by drugs or violence, driver’s ed is still a low priority among most schools and parents,” said Wade, “Handing the keys to an improperly trained driver endangers not only the teens but others on the road as well.” Teen Driving Laws Nighttime Driving Limitation For the first six months of licensure: Driving is prohibited midnight- 5 a.m. The nighttime limitation is lifted after the first six months of licensure. Exemption: Driving when accompanied by a licensed driver age 25 or older; driving between home and place of employment; driving to/from home and a school event for which the school has not provided transportation; driving for employment purposes. Passenger Limitation For the first six months of licensure: Only one passenger under the age of 20 is permitted, unless accompanied by a parent or guardian. For the second six months of licensure: No more than three passengers under the age of 20 are permitted, unless accompanied by a parent or guardian. Exemption: Passengers under age 20 who are members of the driver’s immediate family are permitted. These provisions also apply to teens licensed before August 1, 2008. For example, a teen licensed on July 1 has five months and a subsequent six months of limitation requirements, rather than starting the limitation time periods anew on August 1. Other Laws • It is illegal for drivers under age 18 to use a cellular/wireless phone, whether hand-held or hands-free – except to call 911 in an emergency. A new law has made it illegal for drivers of all ages to compose, read, or send text messages or access the internet on a wireless device while on the road • It is illegal for a person under age 21 to drive after consuming any amount of alcohol. Consequences for underage drinking and driving are loss of license for at least 30 days and court fines. Teen drivers with a provisional license whose driving privileges are revoked from a crash or alcohol/controlled substance-related violation cannot regain a license until age 18. • To qualify for a full privileges license, the license holder must have a safe driving record or be age 18. Resources Next open Tire Rack Street Survival class: AAA Teaching Your Teens To Drive
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