Graduated License Program

Most states in the US have some sort of graduated license program for new drivers and they have proven to be effective. However, the programs vary widely from state-to-state and some are just completely inadequate.

The underlying premise behind the graduated license law is that teens should not be given complete driving freedom until they have acquired some experience handling an automobile.

But too many parents overlook the importance of adding their own guidelines to those established by their State. Many of these guidelines can be addressed in the Parent-Teen driving contract. We strongly recommend that parents not rely completely on their State’s requirements.

Some of the areas where more emphasis and stricter guidelines may be necessary include:

• Requiring practice hours for your teen when the parent is riding along - Some experts say it should be no less than 50 hours. Keeping a log is highly recommended. Do not rely solely on private driver’s education instruction hours.
  
• Determining when your teen should be allowed to drive alone - This is an area of great debate. Some teens mature faster than others. Studies indicate that teens are simply too immature at 16 to handle the responsibilities of driving an automobile. Parents often allow their teens to drive alone as soon as they are legally allowed so that mom and dad can quit running a taxi service.
  
• Determining how many passengers the teen may have in the first 12 months behind the wheel - Statistics show that the risk of an accident increases dramatically with each additional teen passenger. Consider no passengers for your teen during the first 6 months and only one passenger after that until your teen has 12 months experience driving alone.
  
• Establishing when your teen has to have the car home on weekdays and weekends - Most serious accidents involving teen drivers occur at night and on weekends.

Set expectations early and be firm with your decisions and guidelines.

A child is more likely to be killed between the ages of 16 and 19 than at any other period during a parent’s lifetime. You may not get a second chance to make the right decisions regarding your child’s driving guidelines. Automobiles are the number one killer of teens in the United States.

Think!