Most parent of teens present at least a lilliputian anxiousness at the thought process of their baby behind the wheel . It ’s not unfounded : Car crashesare the No . 1 cause of death for U.S. teens , and the risk is neat in the first six to 12 months of driving alone [ sources : McBride , Teen Driver Source ] . But watch them drive off is practically unavoidable . For most kid , drive is a major step in the quest for independency .
So it ’s a good matter for teens to learn to force , and the endangerment has been decreasing since states began implementing mandatory drill hour and a slower procession from learner ’s permit to full licensure . take care at first - twelvemonth driver , some states have examine 40 percent few fatalities since they startedgraduated number one wood licensing(GDL ) programs [ reservoir : Teen Driver Source ] . Still , no matter the hours of exercise , it ’s gruelling to bang what kind of number one wood your tiddler will be without you around . Is he paying more attention to his acquaintance than to the route ? Is she rush along in a rain storm ? Ortexting behind the wheel , which carries up to a 23 - fold increase in crash hazard for all eld groups [ source : Texting and Driving Safety ] ?
scads of supervised practice session and meet all nation regulations are a estimable showtime , but developing realdriving readinessis not a one - sizing - paroxysm - all process . Ultimately , it ’s up to you to guess whether your teen is prepared to operate a vehicle safely while you ’re not observe . A lot of that decision is subjective , but take after some guidelines can help you make the correct choice – and maybe find more or less less queasy the first ( or 50th ) prison term you watch your kid drive off alone .
Or worse , with three Quaker in the car , medicine blasting , andfrench friesin his lap .
But first things first : Alone , with no distractions , how prepared is your child to deal with the myriad hazards of the road ?
Teens and Driving Ability
While not to be relied on exclusively , res publica requirements do help well in getting your teenager ready to drive solo . All 50 states have some mutation of graduated driver ’s licensing , or GDL , which eases driver through stages of increase independence behind the wheel .
In most states , theeligible ageto start the process is 15 , though it ranges from 14 to 16 countrywide [ reference : Governors Highway Safety Association ] . GDL details vary by state , but most have three phases [ reference : National Institutes of Health , Governors Highway Safety Association ] .
After the initial , supervised learning point and the restricted , intermediate phase , you may feel confident your child knows the rules of the route and can motor well under normal conditions . What he or she miss , however , is experience . Experience is the Francis Scott Key to safely navigating unexpected or complex road shape [ source : Teen Driver Source ] .
To assess higher - floor skills , take your teen outdriving at nighttime , in bad weather , in overweight dealings , through construction zone , and on highways to practice navigating on– and – off ramps ( especially ones with plastered bout ) , merging , and change lanes at eminent speeds .
Basically , if a maneuver makes you a little tense when you ’re driving , practice it a lot with your child at the wheel .
A few skill merit particular attention . A 2011 analysis of serious accidents involving adolescent drivers show that a deficit in three country accounted for most 50 percent of the machine driver - error crashes : lack ofscanning , or assessing the car ’s surroundings to see potential problems before they occur;notreducing speedto accommodate serious road conditions ; andbeing distractedby something in the cable car or remote it[source : Children ’s Hospital of Philadelphia ] .
While adults for certain getdistracted , too , some trait of adolescence make kid more susceptible . Safe labor practices in general are not always well - patronize by the teenage brain .
Maturity and Cognition
Adolescence is often characterise by impulsiveness , risk - taking , difficulty check emotions , intense concern with peer relationships , and trouble seeing long - terminus consequences . None of these makes for in particular safe drive behaviors [ source : National Institutes of Health ] .
You could say bad drive is in theteenage brain – or more specifically , theprefrontal cortex , which is creditworthy for " executive functions " like job - solving , multitasking , provision , impulse control , and attentiveness . This area of the brain does n’t in full develop until the early twenty , which means a 16 - twelvemonth - old driver simply does not run like a 30 - year - old driver would [ source : National Institutes of Health ] .
That does n’t intend your teenager ca n’t be ready to tug alone . It does mean you require to take exceptional care to tax your child ’s adulthood level before hand over the keys . A few interrogative sentence to ask yourself ( and talk about with your child ) are [ source : Bosari ] :
These dubiousness overlap , and you may not have all the response . These are traits to ascertain for , though , in the months lead up to an intermediate or full driver ’s permission , because they help indicate your youngster ’s overall capacity for unspoilt sound judgement . A nipper who respects the rules , has a racetrack platter of resisting peer insistency , and understands the risks associated with driving – and , of course , has excellent drive skills – is a undecomposed nominee for move it alone .
Still , even the most responsible teenaged driver embarks on a mellow - risk first year on the road . And while you may not always be there to see and give notice , there are steps you’re able to take to slim the likeliness of an accident .
Tips for Helping Teens Be Safe
As with so many otherparenting practices , the skillful thing you could do for your teen driver is establish who ’s in flush ( that ’s you ) . In this vitrine , you ’re face at two primary approach : Establishing drive rules and control access to the car [ rootage : Teen Driver Source ] .
" Controlling access code " fundamentally means your teen does not have a railroad car . A 2009 study bring out in the journal Pediatrics found that over the track of one class , adolescent drivers who share a house elevator car were half as likely to be in a car chance event as those who had their own [ source : Shute ] . So consider holding off on adding another fomite to your roster ( or else just have got on to the paint ) .
When it comes to the set the rules , it can be helpful to draw up aparent - teen driving agreement . This is a document , signalise by you and your child , listing the term of your teen ’s driving perquisite – the rule your kid must follow both on and off the route , and the specific consequences of breaking them . Ideally , you ’ll draft it together , which make it more potential the rule will be follow [ source : Teen Driver Source ] .
The most unwashed rules are obvious ones , like always wearing aseatbelt , never driving under the influence , obeying dealings law of nature and never texting while drive . Off the route , your teen may have to maintain sure grades and/or contribute a certain amount toward the car insurance .
Some other significant considerateness include [ source : CDC ] :
eventually , there is the gamy - tech approach . you’re able to , in fact , sleep together exactly what kind of driver your child is when you ’re not around . Electronic monitoring is available in many forms , includingGPS - based apps and in - railway car units that tap into a gondola ’s figurer nosology . They can lease parents recognize , sometimes in real time , when their kids speed or slam on the brakes . They can be notified when the railcar is in function after curfew or stops at an unplanned destination . Some arrangement even provide in - elevator car video and auditory sensation [ source : Doheny ] .
If you add this to your overall plan – it ’s a supplement , not a solvent – your teen may be exasperated but it may also decrease her likeliness of speeding , cosset in distraction , and becoming a statistic [ reference : Doheny ] .
Whatever safety programme you go down on , remember to reexamine it together sporadically , and consider making changes as your teen becomes a more experient driver . The goal , after all , is independence .
Lots More Information
My first thought when I take care the form of address of this article was , " It ’s well-situated . count for 30 candle on her birthday patty . " I myself was a terrible adolescent number one wood , and I dread the day my daughter father her permit . In the course of my research , though ( and it is awing how many teen - drive resources are out there ) , I did start to experience reasonably less helpless about it , because I ascertain that my parents , rattling as they were and are , did a plenty of things " wrong " in this circumstance . I come away understanding that their choices about my driving may have affected my choices behind the wheel . And my choice may touch on my girl ’s . So I hope this clause lead anxious parents feel more invest – and nonchalant single more afraid . It is nothing short of a miracle that I made it to 17 .
