Parents

parents of teen drivers

Safest Drivers Ed

Driver.org is the safest online driver education in California. Chances are we were recommended by someone who used our course. We are the #1 choice in Driver Education because we emphasize safety.

Teen drivers only make up 5% of the driving population and although they represent a small portion of the driving population, they are disproportionately involved in motor vehicle crashes, highlighting the importance of a driver education program like Driver.org that encourages parent involvement.

Review our lessons with your teenager and read more about how they can become a safe driver with the DMV’s Parent-Teen Training Guide.

How to make teen drivers follow cell phone laws while driving?

Here’s a situation in which you can never provide too much information. Teens who don’t follow cell phone laws while driving don’t ever believe they will get caught, or that operating a hand held device while driving presents a potentially fatal distraction. Help your teen understand that using cell phones while driving does in fact pose a serious risk by reading the guidelines below.

Have your teen call your local division of motor vehicles and inquire about the fine for using cell phone while driving. Most states start with moderate fines for the first conviction and double these fines for subsequent convictions. However, advise your teen that you will not pay for tickets they get from using cell phones while driving.
Direct your teen to ask whether state laws allow a grace period during which drivers receive only a warning if caught using a cell phone while driving. Most states do not allow such a grace period which tells your teen that he should immediately cease using hand held devices while driving.
Explain to your teen what actually happens when a motorist gets caught talking on a cell phone. A police officer pulls the motorist over and a conviction appears on the motorist’s driving record.
Temper some of this discussion by explaining to your teen that he or she can only use a cell phone while driving in an emergency situation. Explain that “emergency situation” refers only to situations requiring the motorist to contact a law enforcement agency, health care provider, emergency agency or fire department.

California Teen Driving Laws

Who is in the car with your teen?

Something to consider is who is allowed to ride with your teen driver. When it comes to California state driving laws, who you drive with is as important as how you drive: During the first 12 months a teen cannot transport other passengers that are under the age of 20 years old unless the newly licensed driver is accompanied by an adult passenger that is 25 years or older.

A California teen who has been driving for less than 12 months is not legally allowed to transport any passengers below the age of 20 if there is no adult supervisor riding along.

Basic Tips for Parents

Your teen is probably more nervous than you are.
Yelling “Stop!” only makes them more nervous.
Keep a conversation going about the drive.
Be consistent in what you tell them.
Praise, not criticism, works!

Can Drivers Ed be taught effectively online?

Are you concerned about your teen driving safely or confused about the whole licensing process? We have tips and recommendations along with a step-by-step timeline of what your teen will go through in getting their license.

Is a online Drivers Ed course an effective way for your teen to learn driving? A DMV study comparing online driver education to classroom courses found that home-study computer-based instruction may actually be more effective than classroom instruction.

We understand what parents of teen drivers are going through…

I am often asked, by parents, “what am I supposed to do” to satisfy the California requirement of 50 hours of supervised driving, by the parent or legal guardian. Most parents recognize the fact that they have errors in their own driving, and they wish to avoid passing these same errors on to their teen.

Many behind-the-wheel driving schools and public high schools recommend our course because they know that our “graduates” will have the knowledge when it’s time for driver training. We have proudly partner with Driving Schools, High Schools, Charter Schools and Boys and Girls Clubs across California for over 20 years. We encourage you to be involved and help your teen become a safe driver.

Parents will benefit by reading the DMV’s Parent-Teen Training Guide.