Driver’s education provides a good foundation for teaching teen drivers safe behaviors through knowledge and practice and is required in many states. Driver’s Ed. should be viewed as a starting point where teens learn valuable driving skills and gain the experience necessary to make them safe drivers. But parents should not rely solely on driver education to provide teens with the amount of knowledge and experience they need to become safer drivers. There is still no substitute for significant hours of behind-the-wheel experience to help increase a teen driver’s skills behind the wheel. Below are some other tips to help make sure that teens are getting the most out of driver’s ed.

• Encourage administrators to incorporate a safe driving clause in the school’s code of conduct.
• Make sure school directories that list parents who promise to maintain “safe houses” also include parents who promise to help teens adhere to Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) laws.
• Ask schools and athletic departments to include information on GDL laws and teen driving on their school physical forms.
• Encourage administrators to hold mandatory one-hour driving workshops for teens with parking permits (and their parents).
  Introduce school administrators to Allstate's Parent-Teen Contract.
• Look for opportunities to share safe driving information in school materials (newsletters, directors, event programs, web sites, etc.)