Safe driving for teens

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REDUCING ACCIDENTS

Parents should discuss "household driving rules" with their teens and help their new drivers stick to them. An excellent method to stimulate discussions and set expectations is to have parents and teens sign a written "driving contract." This document should list the rules and consequences of breaking the rules. Be sure to state in the contract that parents have the final say. Consider all of the issues above when writing the contract.

Parents should encourage their teens to call without consequence rather than get in a car with a driver who has been drinking. If the parents discover that their child has been driving and drinking, they should ask the state to suspend that teenager's license until age 18. (In many states the parent must sign for a teenager under 18 to get a driver's license. At any time before the 18th birthday a parent can refuse responsibility and the state will take the license.)

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A MESSAGE TO TEENS

These suggestions are not intended to be a punishment, but to prevent accidents, life-long disability, and death. You are worth far more than the inconvenience and hassle. You can set an example for friends on how to drive responsibly. You might even save a life.

Review Date: 05/01/2011
Reviewed By: Neil K. Kaneshiro, MD, MHA, Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).