Tag: teen driver

Time may have snuck up on you, but believe it or not, your teenager is now old enough to drive—and that may be terrifying. Think your teen is ready to get behind the wheel? As a parent, your job is to make them feel prepared and comfortable before venturing out on the open road.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, six teenagers, on average, die every day in car crashes. Of course, you don't want your child to become another statistic, so it's up to you to teach them a wealth of safe-driving habits. Here are a few tips to help get you started:

Giving your kids the keys to a car is one of the scariest moments of parenthood. "Will they make safe choices?" is always a parents’ haunting concern. I was involved in a Dateline special where we watched teens make decisions in what appeared to be potentially dangerous situations.

* Will they get into a car with a teen they think has been drinking?
* What about with a driver who says he is high?
* Which—if any—teen say, "No" to a peer and refuses to get into that car?

New drivers are at an increased risk of being involved in a crash. Winter months present new obstacles like snow- and ice-covered roads that add to the learning curve. We spoke with representatives from the American Automobile Association (AAA), the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Ford's teen-focused Driving Skills for Life program to compile tips for keeping your teens safe on the roads this winter.

While your first instinct may be to locate a driving school that specializes in teaching teens how to maneuver a vehicle in wintry conditions, these are few and far between, and many are expensive and require travel. Instead, take the time to get your teen acquainted with driving on slick surfaces before he or she heads out alone.