My bad cooking may be here to stay. But teen motor vehicle crashes are avoidable. There are proven policies to improve the safety of young drivers on the road. Factors that contribute to teen crashes and injuries include driver inexperience, driving with teen passengers, distractions, nighttime driving, not wearing seat belts and even drinking alcohol and driving. Just cutting out distractions, limiting night driving, monitoring passengers in the car and not calling or text messaging your teen while you know they are driving would help tremendously.

Among all age groups, teen drivers are at the greatest risk for accidents. Per mile driven, teen drivers are four times more likely than adult drivers to crash. Funny, it’s usually teens that make snide comments about older drivers. In fact, crash rates are highest during the first year of driving. And that crash risk goes up when teens drive with other teens in the car. In Texas, teens have restrictions on their license. One being that they cannot have more than one family member under the age of 21 in the car with them when they are driving. I suppose they just want you to kill one friend at a time, not all of them at once. Awesome idea, since we used to cram as many kids in the car as we could and just pack them in like sardines. This all plays into distracted driving, which is a huge contributing factor. That’s why, in some states like Texas, teen drivers also cannot talk on a cell phone or text while driving. There is also a curfew restriction for new drivers.

My teen just got her driver license a few months ago. So I have found many helpful websites that address teen driving tips. At teendriving.com you’ll find hundreds of safe driving and defensive driving tips from buying a car to driving in traffic, driving around school, and even tips on parallel parking. We used to call that parallel “chicken” when I was a teen.

Just keeping your teen drivers out of harm’s way isn’t the only issue here. The high cost of automobile insurance for a young driver is also an issue for most parents. Keeping a clean driving record will insure that your insurance premium doesn’t skyrocket. And who wants to spend a bunch of extra money on insurance when you have better things to spend your money on…like Jack Daniels.

Until next week…

Daun Thompson
Comedienne / Writer / Artist

Teen Drivers – Comedy Defensive Driving

The post No More Training Wheels – Teen Drivers appeared first on Comedy Defensive Driving®.

Where to start???Don’t panic…here’s some help.As promised in my March 21 blog, I will be giving a play-by-play, of my own experience…a how-to, for other parents in the same predicament.

I decided to take my 15-1/2 year old daughter to our local DPS office (Department of Public Safety).There, she would have her first adult experience of waiting in line…for eternity. A good time to gauge how well she’s going to cope with road rage in rush hour traffic…but that’ll come later. I took her to the same DPS office where I had gone to renew my Texas Drivers License.For years, I had renewed my license through the mail.That youthful picture had apparently reached it’s limit. Therefore, I was now required to appear and wait in a long line for a new one.I think they make you wait in line a long time so your picture will look more like you when you actually get pulled over by the police. Kind of put-out and cranky. They’re not as dumb as they look… (well, maybe some are)…

Just as expected.We waited forever.This is a place where you can arrive, clean shaven….and leave with a full beard(truth is, a woman my age, you can grow a full beard….disturbing, isn’t it?).

I was informed that there are two options here for new drivers under 18.Your teen driver can either attend an independent drivers education course (most range around $350.00). The DPS will have a list of state approved ones.Or, you can choose to do a parent taught driver education course.

We left the office with a Form DL-92 Request For A Parent Taught Driver Education Packet.We were told to complete it, enclose the $20 packet fee and mail it off to Austin.Program requirements are listed on the form.Among them, they insist that the parent teacher must have no prior convictions, including DWI or homicide, nor mental illness…..Check! (I think).Student must be at least 14 to begin the classroom portion, but cannot test for an instruction permit until their 15^th birthday and must complete the entire program prior to their 18^th birthday.

We also asked for a Drivers Handbook that she could study while waiting for the packet to be shipped to us.She read that while we waited in line …the entire thing.

Here’s a little checklist of what you’ll be needing to continue on.Your teen’s Birth Certificate, Social Security Card, Your Texas Drivers License, Proof of Insurance on the car you’ll be teaching in(yes, the same one they’ll be asking to borrow and eventually destroy).Put your teen on your policy prior to putting them behind the wheel.

Oh yes, and one adult diaper (check!).

To Be Continued…Look for Step 2:“We’ve Received the Parent-Taught Drivers Education Packet. What Now?”

Hang in there!Chin (and wallet) up.

Daun Thompson

( Daun Thompson is a Comedienne, Writer, Artist and soon-to-be Diaper-Wearing Driver Training Mom )

The post PARENT TO PARENT Step 1: The Learners License a.k.a. Instruction Permit appeared first on Comedy Defensive Driving®.