Tips for Parents

• Don’t rely solely on driver’s education
  • Driver’s education is great, but it is a starting point
  • Review the MN laws and determine if that is enough for you and your teen – most parents find it isn’t
  • Continue supervisions even after the driver’s license has been issued

• Expose your young driver to all types of conditions
  • Practice in all weather conditions: snow, ice, rain
  • Drive on gravel roads, roads with no shoulders, through construction zones, in rush hour and traffic jams
  • Use all family vehicles so your teen is familiar with them

• Restrict night driving and number of passengers
  • Research is clear. Teen drivers are more likely to crash with teen passengers and the more teen passengers, the greater the risk.
  • Consider limiting the number (if any) passengers the first few months of having their license.
  • Siblings may pose an equal risk. Although it is nice to have another driver in the home for “taxi cab” duty, balance that benefit to the risk of crash.
  • Night driving restrictions should start with dawn to dusk and be adjusted as your teen gains experience.
  • Remember, supervised practicing in the dark is one of the only ways to gain this experience.

• Set a good example
  • Actions speak louder than words.
  • Your children have been learning how to behave in the car since they were toddlers. What have you been teaching them?
  • When parents are not buckled with a seat belt only 30% of children in the vehicle are buckled.

• Require seat belt use
  • Teens have the lowest seat belt use rate of any drivers on the road, yet they are the most likely to crash
  • Insist your teen wears a seat belt or they do not get behind the wheel

• Prohibit drinking and driving
  • In Wright County, last year, 18% of those arrested for DUI were ages 15 – 19 year old
  • Alcohol-related crashes occur more frequently at night and on weekends - another reason to consider night driving restrictions
  • Talk with your teen about never getting behind the wheel after drinking

• Choose vehicles for safety, not looks
  • Smaller vehicles are often less expensive and great on gas mileage, but not always the safest choice for a new driver
  • Check with your insurance agent prior to purchasing a car. Some cars, although they do not look like a “sports car”, have very high insurance rates

• Be patient, calm, and supportive

• This can be a stressful time for parents, but remember this is probably just as stressful on your teen (even if he/she is not showing it)
• A recent North Carolina Study of Supervised Driving actually found 71% of parents and 52% of teens indicating “We enjoy this time together”

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