Author: Richard H. Adler, Attorney at Law

For most parents, the day their child is granted the privilege of driving a motor vehicle carries the joy of not having to chauffeur their child, but also the sobering reality of the many risks of injury and crashes that can happen when driving a car.  Parents know that the risk is real and statistics support this concern as one in every five teenage drivers are involved in a motor vehicle collision, and some result in traumatic injuries.  To reduce the risks, the State of Washington requires every teenage driver to participate in a traffic safety course, have an ‘instructors permit’ for at least six months, and pass both a written and driving before receiving a restricted license.  However, as parents, there are additional and proactive steps you can take to educate your child about proper traffic safety. 

One very effective measure as a parent is to develop a “driving contract.”  This contract outlines your expectations for you child when they are behind the wheel.  If the contact is broken, a set of reasonable and measured consequences are set out in writing and agreed upon in advance by the parents and child.  For example, if the child receives a traffic violation within the first six months of driving, he/she is held responsible and loses driving privileges for one month. Other written expectations could include no driving past midnight; not using a cell phone while driving; no eating while driving.  Additionally, even though driving and alcohol is illegal for all drivers, 23% of teenage related collisions are under the influence of alcohol or other illegal substances¹, so it is recommended to include a zero tolerance policy in the contract.  

It is also recommended that you share your knowledge and experiences as a driver, collisions you have been in and/or witnessed, traffic violations you have received.  Think of these conversations as the sort of things you wish someone had told you when you started driving.  A good discussion would include pointing out intersections, streets, etc. in your neighborhood that may create difficulties for any driver, young or seasoned, such as five-way intersections, intersections with yield signs, crosswalks, blind spots, and high pedestrian areas.  If you are pro-active in teaching your child, it will minimize the risk of collisions and crash-related traumatic injuries.  Encourage questions and if you do not know the answer, look it up together.    

Another proactive step in reducing teenage collision and traumatic injuries is to sign up your child for defensive driving classes.  This is an additional set of classes to the required traffic safety course that instruct drivers on how to properly react to other drivers on the road and avoid potential car collision.  Some insurance companies even offer additional financial discounts to those who complete defensive driving courses.  This is a class that a parent could also take with their child and receive potential discounts on car insurance premiums.  Classes are available across the state and generally include 30 hours of drive time.