Talk about safe driving with your new driver and KNOW the laws!
As parents of a teenager, we know what it is like to worry about your teenage driver. One of the most helpless feelings is when your newly licensed driver gets in the car and drives away by themselves! I guarantee you that you are praying they have had quality training and plenty of experience behind the wheel. Research shows that too many parents put off having the conversation about safe driving until their teens are about to get their driver's license. The earlier you begin to talk with your teen about safe driving habits, the better. How they drive during those first few months of "getting behind the wheel" sets the pattern for future driving habits.
Safer Driving School encourages parents to talk with your teen about the consequences of poor driving habits BEFORE they happen. For example, establish a contract with your teen (before they get their driver's license) that outlines what will happen if they get a speeding ticket or drink and drive. Set some rules and limits for them by reinforcing the hazards of speeding, cell phone use, and texting while driving. Ask us about parent/teen driving contracts that clearly state the consequences of things like speeding tickets or missing set curfews. If your teen understands the consequences BEFORE they happen, hopefully they will make better choices that could impact their lives forever.
Did you know that seat belt use for youthful drivers is on the decline? Statistics indicate that teens buckle up far less frequently than adults do and primarily boys are less likely to wear their seat belts than girls. Observed seat belt use among teens (according to the Nat'l Highway Safety Institute) and young adults (16-24) is the lowest of any age group. In 2006, 58% of young people 16 to 20 yrs old involved in fatal accidents weren't wearing a seat belt. Make sure you stress the importance of wearing seatbelts for everyone in the car. Check out the I Promise pendants as a visual reminder to your student each time they get behind the wheel.
Practice, practice, practice. Practice with your new driver in empty parking lots or on side streets. Practice driving with them at night, in traffic, and in poor weather conditions. Guess what? Three out four teens say their parents are the biggest influence in getting them to drive more safely!
New drivers need experience more than any thing else. Oklahoma law requires that anyone under 18 must have 50 hours of behind the wheel driving experience from a licensed driver who is at least 21 (and licensed for at least 2 yrs). Ten of those 50 hours of driving must be at night. With Safer Driving School, your student will get 6 hours of behind the wheel driving, but students need to get the other 44 hours of driving practice in with you before they can take their drive test. A parent or guardian will be required to sign an affidavit confirming the 50 hours of driving experience. This is a part of the Oklahoma Graduated Licensing law.
The law also states that for the first 6 months after a new driver gets their intermediate driver's license, they can have only 1 driver in the car with them who is under 21 and not a family member. This is to prevent the new driver from being distracted while driving. Research shows the more passengers your teens has in their car, the higher the risk of a fatal crash.
Your student will have an intermediate drivers license for the 1st, 6 months after they pass their drive test. This intermediate driver's license allows them to drive only during the hours of 5am-10pm unless the driver is driving to & from school, work or church or if a licensed driver age 21 or over is seated next to them in the passenger seat. This law has helped to reduce the number of teen accidents and fatalities. This restriction is on their license for the 1st 6 months if the student completed driver's education. If they did not take drivers education, the restriction is for 12 months.
The law also makes it illegal for students with a permit or intermediate drivers license to use any kind of hand held device including a cell phone, MP3 player, GPS or IPAD while driving. A phone call for emergency purposes is the only time a student can use a cell phone while driving.
We hope you find these "tips" to be useful. Let us know what works for you. If you need help or suggestions, give us a call. Our goal is to work as a team with YOU to teach your new driver how to be a safe driver, not just be able to pass their driving test. We are committed to teaching safe driving habits and helping to raise safe drivers.
Please give us a call and let us know how we can help you.
Don & Jayme Hancock, Safer Driving School
Safer Driving School...where teaching your student how to drive is about so much more than just passing their test!