How Will Your Teen Drive After Getting That License?

"The only tyrant I accept in this world is the 'still small voice' within me" ~ Mahatma Gandhi

"Mr. Sweeney, you were John-Boy's driving instructor, weren't you?"

"Yeah, I remember John-Boy. How's he doing these days?"

"Well, he speeds ALL the time and he put a dent in his Mom's car and their garage door! He's not a very good driver at all!"

So there it is - the silent accusation:

"How in the world could you have passed HIM?"

I can teach my students the rules of the road and how to safely operate an automobile. I can prevent them from passing the course if they demonstrate that they are unable or unwilling to drive safely.

Everyone knows this. Therefore, when the students are with me they are always putting their best foot forward. They're also on their BEST behavior when they go for the state's 12 minute road test. Obviously, some of them are insincere and drop the mask when they are no longer under supervision. Safe driving is an attitude and a way of life. It is obtained through experience and parental involvement. You as a parent must be involved to properly instill this.

That's why we have a graduated licensing system here in Illinois. That is why parents here are required to log 50 hours of driving time with their teen before taking the road test for the driver's license.

But alas, John-Boy has proven that even this is an imperfect solution.

How do you ensure safe driving when they are out on their own?

Well there are some basic measures that may help:

1. Know Your Child's Travelling Companions: Teens have a way of egging each other into doing stupid things. Speeding, bravado, and failure to wear seat belts account for thousands of teen deaths each year. Studies have found that a 16-year old driver with three or more passengers was three times more likely to die in a wreck than one driving alone. In Illinois for the first six months of licensing, or until the driver is age 18, whichever occurs first, the number of passengers is limited to one person under age 20, unless the additional passenger(s) is a sibling, step-sibling, child or step-child of the driver. After this period, the number of passengers is limited to one in the front seat and the number of safety belts in the back seat.

2. Be a Nag: Remind your teen frequently of the dangers of operating motor vehicle with anything less than 100% concentration.

3. Ride Periodically with Your Teen: Check him out from time to time. Review safety tips and monitor his driving skills. Bad habits are most likely to crop up in the beginning years of driving. Nip them in the bud. Frequent drive-alongs are the best way to keep tabs on your teen driver's progress.

4. Have Your Child Share Costs: Have her kick in some dollars towards the insurance payments. This will teach her responsibility and may even translate into better driving skills. Now her money is at stake.

Tomorrow: Advanced methods of monitoring your young driver.