SEPTEMBER 2020 CAMPAIGN
”TEEN DRIVING”

  

KEY MESSAGES

    

It’s no secret that parental or adult involvement can make a difference in helping teen drivers understand and follow good driving behavior patterns. Your organization can play an important role in helping to educate parents and teens in your community about some simple but effective rules of the road.

Reinforce the message that parents can and should Be a Road Model. Here are some suggested content that can be adopted in a variety of ways: posting on social media, email messages to your members or constituents, or on your organization’s website.

The 5 Rules for Parents of Teen Drivers

Parents should insist their driving teens adhere to 5 rules while driving:

  1. No cell phone

  2. No extra passengers

  3. No speeding

  4. No alcohol or drugs

  5. Buckle up

Parents Can Coach Their Teen Driver

Feel free to suggest using the following resources to be an active participant and coach to teach their teen(s) how to be a safe driver:

Visit the Washington Department of Licensing Parent’s Guide to Teen Driving. This comprehensive guide is a great resource for parents with teen drivers. The guide covers:

  • Knowing and enforcing the driving laws

  • Knowing the Intermediate driver license requirements and holding teens accountable to the rules

  • Certifying that your teen has completed at least 50 hours of supervised driving, including 10 hours at night

  • Setting family driving rules and limits

  • Talking to other parents to make sure they are enforcing the same rules with their teens

Other Resources for Parents and Teens

Download apps:

  • Road Ready: a free mobile app that provides a digital way to log required learner’s practice miles, with a social component to allowing teens to share their accomplishments with peers.

  • Life360: another free mobile app that can track and share the driving behaviors of everyone in the family. More than just a way to monitor teens, it encourages conversation among all family members about how each is driving, helping create a culture of driving safety within your family.

TeendrivingAAA:

With interactive tools and resources, including widgets and a webinar for parents, AAA provides parents with great resources and advice to help them become effective in-car coaches, with advice on managing their teen’s overall driving privileges.

Young Driver Parenting: A non-profit organization offers training, tips and resources for parents, including sample safe driving agreements that parents and each young driver in the family can sign and follow.