Parental involvement in teen driver education has a measurable, positive impact on driving safety. A 2012 study published by CHOP and State Farm, Driving Through the Eyes of Teens noted that when parents are actively engaged in the supervised driving process teens are 50 percent less likely to crash, 71 percent less likely to drive intoxicated, 30 percent less likely to drive distracted and twice as likely to wear seat-belts.

The Environment

There is no debate that new teen drivers are at risk as soon as they get behind the wheel and that risk increases with those teens that receive less behind-the wheel experience. Teen driver crash rates are at epidemic levels in the United States.

Supporting Law

Forty-six (46) states and Washington, D.C. have instituted a Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) law with a requirement for parents to supervise their teens during the pre-licensing phase when driver behavior is first formed.

Pre-Existing Conditions and Suboptimal Results

Very few parents have a clear understanding of teen driving laws and best practices to help their teens become safe, smart drivers. This is due, in part, to the general lack of readily available resources for parents of teen drivers.

The majority of state departments of motor vehicles (DMV) recognize the need for a supervised driving resource, but most lack the internal resources required to produce a program. The Parent’s Supervised Driving Program offers state partners an effective, sponsor-supported, cost-free solution guided by three key facts:

• Parents are the most important influence on teen drivers.
• Experience is the most critical element in the driver education process.
• Parents lack the resources to optimize the parent/teen driving requirement.

Curriculum Creation

Over a three year period, Safe Roads Alliance, a non-profit organization, worked with DMV staff from around the country, key industry groups: National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA), Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), highway safety researchers, academics, behavioral scientists, educators and, of course, parents and teens to develop the universal, “best-practices” curriculum that guides parents through the supervised driving process.

The Parent’s Supervised Driving Program provides step-by-step driving instructions for parents on how to instruct their teen during the supervised driving process, including practicing in a variety of conditions and focusing on “higher order” driving skills. The step-by-step curriculum ensures the most effective use of the 30-70 hour supervised driving requirement, and includes the requisite driving log so that the requirement can be effectively tracked. The design of the program is clean, modern and professional.