Smarter teen driving starts at home and school

The return of fall and families settling into the back-to-school mode remind me of my excitement watching my now-grown children boarding the yellow bus.

It wasn’t so long ago that those feelings turned to anxiety when they traded the school bus for a car. Getting behind the wheel is a huge responsibility that many of us take for granted.

The sad fact that vehicle crashes remain the leading cause of death for teens lurked in the back of my mind as I watched them climb into a friend’s car or back out of our driveway. Did I do enough to teach them to be safe and sensible drivers? Would they know how to be responsible passengers and manage emergency situations from flat tires to aggressive drivers?

To paraphrase, a parent’s job is to prepare the child for the road, not the road for the child.

Thankfully, Delaware has a road map for parents in its Graduated Driver Licensing program. The three-stage GDL is considered among the best nationally for persons younger than 18 applying for their first driver’s license.

The GDL allows teens to gradually gain exposure to complex driving situations, easing them into driving over an extended period of time. AAA Foundation research found that states, like Delaware, with comprehensive GDL programs, experience a 38 percent decrease in fatal crashes and a 40 percent reduction in injury crashes involving 16-year-olds.

Simply stated, Delaware’s focus on teen driver education makes a difference and is saving lives. But the biggest impact on the learning-to-drive process is parental involvement.

Since teen drivers continue to have the highest crash rate of any age group, it’s critical that the adults in their lives set a good example when they are behind the wheel. My own children were always quick to point out any “do as I say, not as I do” behaviors. My son and daughters noticed everything. With so much at stake, I wanted to become a better teacher, so I tried to be a better driver.

I also turned to proven coaching techniques like explaining what I was doing to anticipating changing road conditions or other drivers’ behaviors.

Looking back, the chalk talk coaching was perhaps the easiest part. The tough part came with us switching seats. When my teens took the wheel, I sat in the passenger seat with my right foot riding an imaginary brake pedal.

In case you are not familiar with it, Delaware’s GDL program requires a minimum Level One Learner’s Permit holding period of at least six months and 50 hours of practice driving, including 10 hours at night. These 50 hours are critically important in providing teens with all the tools and resources necessary to get the skills and mindset needed to be safer drivers.

It wasn’t always easy or convenient, but I worked hard to make the practice hours with my kids increasingly more like real-world driving – bad weather, heavy traffic, unfamiliar roads, etc. I wanted them to learn how to handle these situations with me in the car.

My kids are now adults and off into the world. I now know they were indeed paying attention. If there is a teen driver in your life, it is back-to-school time for both of you.

Berni Koch is CEO of AAA Mid-Atlantic.