How Parents Are Handling Their Teen's Driving Milestone

Dad giving son keys

Summary:

  • Why Parents Are Anxious About Their Teens Learning to Drive

  • The Benefits of Teens Learning to Drive

  • How Parents Are Overcoming Their Anxiety About Their Teens Learning to Drive

  • Case Study: Alexa and Kadah

Aceable's Key Findings

In a new study, Aceable found that 56% of parents feel anxious about their teens starting to drive. Furthermore, 21% report feeling frustrated with the process of helping their teens learn to drive. Learning to drive is an important milestone. But it’s important to realize that teaching your teen to drive is an important milestone as well. This parental milestone comes with a wide range of emotions, including excitement, fear, and maybe just a bit of sadness as your “baby” takes a big step toward independence. Balancing all these emotions while teaching the practical applications of safe driving behaviors is a challenge. In fact, 88% of parents surveyed say that teen driving is more challenging than any other teen milestones encountered thus far.

Why Parents Are Anxious About Their Teens Learning to Drive

The world you learned to drive in may not feel like the same world you’re teaching your teen to drive in. Of the parents surveyed, 87% agree that the current generation of teen drivers faces different challenges than they did. This adds to the anxiety parents face in the following areas.

Teen’s Core Driving Abilities

52% of parents confirm being concerned about their teen’s core driving abilities. Inexperienced drivers are naturally less skilled than more experienced drivers. This is why the highest risk of a car crash for teens comes in the first three months of driving.

Part of the problem for today’s drivers is simply traffic. According to independent research firm, Gitnux, the total vehicle miles traveled in the US increased by more than 46% from 1993 to 2018. This means more cars on the road and less room for error. No wonder 64% of respondents agree they are more worried about their teen driving than their parents were about them driving.