If you’re the parent of a teenager, perhaps you can relate to the dad in the “Baby Driver” ad from Subaru (above) who is watching his daughter transition from a little girl into a young woman ready to drive. Perhaps you are wondering, too, if you've adequately prepared your teen for driving alone and in challenging situations.

National Teen Driver Safety Week (Oct. 17-23) helps draw attention to how parents and other adults can help teenage drivers become confident and competent behind the wheel.

A recent study from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, in which researchers used in-vehicle cameras to capture teen drivers and their parents during the supervised driving phase, found that teens averaged an hour and a half of supervised driving time per week, without significant experience in challenging situations. 

Even after a year of supervised teenage driving, nearly half of parents (47 percent) felt that there was at least one area in which they felt uncomfortable letting their teenager drive. Part of their concern stems from the limited opportunities for parents and teens to drive together, as 68 percent of parents reported to facing difficulties in their busy schedules.

“Driving in a variety of settings is the best way to build competence; starting early and practicing often can make the crucial difference between being a tentative novice driver or one capable of handling challenging and unavoidable driving scenarios,” said AAA Foundation President and CEO Peter Kissinger.

Challenging situations that teens should experience before driving solo include bad weather, darkness, rush hour traffic, narrow rural roads, and busy interstates.

Furthermore, parents need to:

• Ensure ample practice in all driving situations.
• Share their driving “wisdom” to help teens spot dangers that aren’t obvious and see the “big picture.”
• Teach teens to drive defensively.

Whether teens are driving around in a Mitsubishi Lancer, the most popular car for young adults, or driving in a Honda Odyssey supervised by Mom or Dad, parents can help their teens by making sure they’re exposed to as many challenging situations as possible while under supervision so that they can become capable, safe drivers!

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