Driving Contracts Help Teen’s Safety

For more than a couple of years now, the media has been filled with overwhelming statistics about teen driving deaths. But parents need more than statistics to help their children, they need ideas to effectively parent their teen driver. One of the best things a parent can do to impress the importance of safety while driving is to develop a teen driving contract that specifically lays out the rules for driving and the consequences for deviating from those rules. Here are some tips for creating your own teen driving contract.

Start positive: With teens, how you present the information often determines whether or not they listen. When you sit down with your teenager, remember, this isn’t a lecture. It’s a discussion about a contract that deals with RESPONSIBILITY. So begin with something positive about your teen, like “We’re so proud of you and pleased that you’re ready to take on the responsibility of driving.” Make sure to reinforce the concept of responsibility throughout the discussion as well as reinforce your confidence in your new driver’s ability to make good driving choices.

Explain the contract’s purpose: While this isn’t a lecture, it’s important to be prepared with some information about the purpose of the contract—that it is a document outlining driving responsibilities and consequences for deviating from those responsibilities. In other words, the contract is to ensure a clear understanding between you and them. Let your teen know that the contract will be fully enforced on BOTH sides.

Outline rules and consequences: Before you discuss a contract with your teen driver, prepare your rules and consequences. For example, you may forbid night driving for the first year after your teen gets his or her license. You may also want to limit the number of passengers in the car or prohibit any passengers until your teen has more driving experience under his or her belt. For some ideas on what items to include in the contract, click here.

Mean what you say: Be prepared to enforce the consequences even if it poses an inconvenience to you. Often, when teens start driving, parents rely on teens to take or pick up younger siblings from activities or to run to the store, etc.

Reward good driving: Positively reinforcing your teen’s good driving behavior will encourage its continuation. So, when you catch your son or daughter making responsible driving choices, don’t let those go unnoticed. Praise them. You may even want to set up a reward system as part of your contract. It will go a long way in cultivating safe, responsible driving in your teenager.

For more on driving contracts, or for a sample to use with your teen driver, click here.