How to Keep Your Teen Safe After You've Left the Passenger Seat

Is your teen about to get their license and head out on the road alone? As a parent, it can be a nerve-wracking time. Will they check their blind spots, keep their phone put away, and drive at safe speeds? Only time will tell. But you can do more than cross your fingers and hope for the best. Here are four ways to help keep your newly licensed teen safe after you've left the passenger seat. 

1. Set Rules and Consequences

Before your teen sets out as an independent driver, have a conversation with them about the rules and expectations that come with driving. For example, you may want to cover:

• Your state's Graduated Driver's License (GDL) program rules

• Always wearing a seatbeltSeat Belt Safe Driving

• Never using their phone while driving

• The hours in which they are allowed to drive

• Who can ride in the car with them when they're driving

• Where they can go

• What notice is required when they are going to drive somewhere

• Never driving under the influenceDistracted Impaired Driving Safe Driving

Along with the rules, address what will happen if they break a rule. For example, if they use their phone while driving, they may lose their driving privileges for a month. While teens learn the state's rules in driver's ed, you are their ultimate authority figure and have the biggest influence on their future habits and behaviors. If you'd like help, the CDC provides a parent-teen driving agreementDefault Files Patk_2014_teenparent_agreement_aap A.pdf Sites that can be a helpful guide. 

2. Support Your Teen on an Ongoing Basis

While rules and consequences are important, so is a supportive environment. Researchers have found that authoritative parenting (a high level of rules and monitoring, along with a high level of support) can improve teen driving safety. 

For example, when compared to teens of uninvolved parents, one study19810185 Pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov found that teens of authoritative parents were involved in half as many accidents, were 71% less likely to drive while intoxicated, and were less likely to use a cell phone while driving. Another study22361241 Pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov found that the frequency of parent-teen communication about safe driving was positively associated with teen attitudes toward safe driving. 

So it can be helpful to talk about safe driving on an ongoing basis and lovingly reinforce the rules — emphasizing your concern for their safety over a desire to control them without reason. You may also want to consider showing them teen driving statisticsTeen_drivers Teendrivers_factsheet.html Transportationsafety to help them understand the severity of the situation. 

3. Use a Safety Monitoring App

Next, consider implementing the use of a safety monitoring app so both you and your teen can monitor their driving performance. Many exist on the market today, such as Life360 and FamiSafeUs App Famisafe Parental Control App Id1385417904 Apps.apple.com, that offer features such as speed, mileage, location, and phone-use tracking. If your teen does something they're not supposed to, you can often get alerts. 

If you're interested in going this route, you can also check if your insurer offers an app. For example, State Farm offers the Drive Safe and Save mobile appDownload Mobile Apps Drive Safe And Save Mobile#accordion 28d052c84b Item D9d2de3d17 Customer Care which tracks quick acceleration, hard braking, fast cornering, speeding, and distracted driving. If you and/or your teen drive safely, you can earn a discount. But what if your teen isn't exhibiting safe driving habits? State Farm says the program can only result in a discount, not a surcharge.  

4. Encourage Continued Education 

Lastly, teens learn the basics of driving from driver's education programs but can strengthen their skills by taking additional online training modules. For example, a defensive driving courseDefensive Driving can help them learn how to take a proactive approach when faced with hazards like inclement weather, reckless drivers, and damaged roads. As a result, it can boost their confidence and reduce the likelihood that they'll be involved in a collision or incident. 

You can also arm your teen with the resources, including: 

• A copy of your signed parent-teen driving agreement

• Your state's GDL program laws

• Defensive driving basicsDefensive Driving Basics Safe Driving

• Tips on driving in emergenciesDriving Emergency Situations Safe Driving

• What to do after a car accidentWhat To Do After A Car Accident Safe Driving

• How to change and prevent flat tires Change Flat Tires Car Maintenance

• How to check blind spots while drivingBlind Spots Safe Driving

• 11 easy ways to reduce distractions while you're drivingEasy Ways To Reduce Distractions When Youre Driving Safe Driving

Watching a teen drive off alone for the first time can be very scary for a parent, and that fear is not unfounded. But you can lay the groundwork to improve the chances that they will follow the rules. Driving safety should be an ongoing conversation in your household, where your teen feels comfortable sharing their experiences and questions. By providing them with expectations, support, and accountability, you can help them successfully take this next big step toward independence.