Teen Driver Safety

Learning to drive is an exciting milestone, but it can also be a stressful process for teens and their parents.

Motor vehicle crashes are a top cause of death and injury for teens in the U.S. The major reason for crashes among new drivers is inexperience. Driver’s education courses introduce teens to laws and the mechanics of driving, but it is just the beginning of the learning process. 

As part of Graduated Driver Licensing laws, teens are required to continue practicing with a parent, legal guardian, or designated licensed driver while they gain experience in all types of situations and conditions to reduce their risk of crashing. The resources below will help teens learn and practice safe driving habits and support parents/caregivers in guiding their teen driver.

Resources for Teens

• Teen Car Safety modules: Free interactive online modules focused on skills to stay alert, prevent crashes, and react fast in emergencies.
• Impact Teen Drivers: Free interactive online modules focused on making choices to keep you and those around you safe while driving with an emphasis on reducing reckless and distracted driving.
• Safe Roads Challenge App: The Safe Roads Challenge app addresses several leading factors of crashes including distracted driving and speeding. The app includes gamified features, competitions and driver scoring. By driving safely, you earn entries into contests and challenges that reward drivers with gift cards redeemable at over 250 brands to motivate and encourage safe driving and positive habits.
• 7 Risky Driving Behaviors & 7 Tips to Stay Safe: Tips to help teens stay safe on the road and avoid risky driving.

Resources for Parents/Caregivers

• Parent’s Supervised Driving Program: Resources to support parents & caregivers in working with your teen to learn to drive safely. Includes a guidebook with step-by-step lessons to do with your teen and more.
• RoadReady App - Part of the Parent’s Supervised Driving Program: This free mobile app helps track your supervised driving time with your teen. Also includes parental pointers, tips for practicing safe driving, identifying areas of improvement and more.
• American Academy of Pediatrics - Teen Driver Safety: Resources including a sample Parent-Teen Driving Agreement, information about car safety technology, and tips to share with teens about winter driving, weather-related hazards, and emergency preparedness.
• CDC - Risk factors for crashes among teen drivers & what parents can do: Reviews the 8 danger zones (factors) that increase risk for crashes among teen drivers and gives parents action steps they can take to help keep teen drivers safe on the road.

Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) Resources

• Michigan GDL Information
• Minnesota GDL Information
• Wisconsin GDL Information