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Teaching Your Teen to Drive

Talking to Other Parents

Talking to other parents of teens lets you discuss what’s worked and what hasn’t. It’s a way of sharing experiences with someone facing the same issue as you. Here are some ideas for discussing teen safe driving with other parents:

• Find out what rules and consequences other parents have established–and share your own. (You’ll be able to see real-life examples as you fill out each section of the Allstate Parent-Teen Driving Contract.) Talk about driving rules with other parents the same way you’d talk about parties, alcohol use or curfews.
• Talk to other parents in your community about setting common driving rules. It’s much easier to be an effective parent when you have the support of other parents in your community.
• Ask other parents how they coach their teens—what do they say to their friends if they think those friends are not driving safely? Or if a friend is drinking and driving?
• Work together to help make sure all teens in your community are safe. Have an agreement with other parents to take away a teen’s car keys, call the parents, call a taxi or allow the teen to sleep over if they shouldn’t be driving.  And agree that none of you will let a teen leave your house and get behind the wheel if you suspect they’ve been drinking.
• Get teen driving on the agenda at the next parent-teacher meeting at school.
• Partner with the Drivers Education or Physical Education teacher at your teen’s school to organize a parent discussion about your state’s Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) law requirements. This will help all parents in the area learn the laws. Consider inviting a police representative–they have valuable perspective.