1. Partners for Safe Teen Driving1

3. Presentation Goals/Topics
Parents Matter!
The Teenage Brain
Teen Driving Risks
Graduated Licensing Laws in Virginia
Driver Education
Interacting with Law Enforcement
Parent/Teen Driving Contract 3

4. Parents Matter!
While driving skill is important, it does not reduce risky driving behaviors.
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, 2009 4

5. What is the PARENTS’ Role in Teen Driving?
Parents must:
Delay licensure if necessary.
Model safe driving behaviors.
Provide guided practice in low-, moderate- and high-risk driving environments.
Supervise and place limits on independent driving conditions.
Suspend driving privileges if the teen is not demonstrating responsible behaviors. 5

6. Who’s in Control?
The 2009 National Young Driver Survey found that TEENS who said their PARENTS
Set rules, and monitored those rules
Were involved, helpful, and supportive (Authoritative Parents)
Were HALF as likely to be in a crash, and had the SAFEST driving records.
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, 2009 6

7. Parental Management of Teen Driving
Setting initial limits on teen drivers is key.
Once granted, privileges are hard to take away. 7

8. Don’t change because of a tragedy - change to avoid tragedy8

9. Parental Management of Teen Driving
Be gatekeepers of driving privileges and vehicle use.
Enforce teen graduated licensing laws and create “family laws”. 9

10. True or False?
Peers have the greatest influence on teen driving behaviors.
Please raise your hand if you think this statement is true. 10

11. False!
Eighty-nine percent (89%) of teens identified their PARENTS as the top influencer.
The next three were:
1. Law Enforcement
2. Friends/Peers
3. Driver Education Teachers 11
The Allstate Foundation Survey, 2005

12. Do Parents “Know What They Don’t Know”?
Ninety-three percent (93%) of parents feel they are prepared to teach their teen to drive but
60% are not familiar with the juvenile licensing laws, and
40% think most teen crashes are due to drunk driving, while in reality most crashes are due to driver error. 12
Allstate Foundation Survey, 2007

14. What Do Parents Say and Do?
Less than 1/3 of parents say teens are good drivers, but
88% trust their teen to drive safely.
55% believe if their teen was in a crash it would be someone else’s fault.
Allstate Foundation Survey, 2007 14

15. What Do Parents Say and Do? (continued)
48% believe more lenient parents make it difficult to control their own teen’s driving behavior.
24% have allowed their teen to drive against their better judgment.
Allstate Foundation Survey, 2007 15

16. Parents Have the Greatest Influence on Teens16

17. Parents As Role Models
99% of parents believe demonstrating good driving behavior is important, but…
71% still talk on the phone while driving, and
26% admit to having broken traffic laws.
Allstate Foundation Survey, 2007 17

18. Do Parents Place Adequate Limits on Teen Drivers?
In the first few months, most parents allow teens to drive unsupervised in risky situations, such as:
90% allow teens to drive after dark.
77% allow teens to drive with friends.
70% allow teens to drive in bad weather.
Allstate Foundation Survey, 2007 18

19. Good Equals Safe? Adult view: Safe driving = Good driving
Teens view: Good driving = Skilled driving but not necessarily safe driving
Teen perspective:
“Driving dangerously shows that I’m a skilled driver”
Allstate Foundation, 2006 19

20. Brain Development from Five to Twenty Years of Age20
Harvard Magazine, Sep-Oct 2008

21. True or False? The brain does not mature until about age 25.
Please stand if you believe this statement is true. 21

22. True!
Frontal Lobe
The Frontal Lobe is the area of the brain that controls understanding consequences and suppressing impulses and does not mature until about 25 years of age.
Frontline: Inside the Teenage Brain, 2002 22

24. The Teenage Brain
The teen brain has a tendency to underestimate dangerous situations.
It is attracted to thrill-seeking and other experiences that create intense feelings.
This is why teens often speed, weave in and out of traffic, follow too closely, talk on their cell phones, or drive while fatigued or intoxicated. 24

25. Teen Driver Risks Inexperience Thrill Seeking Teenaged Passengers
Multitasking
Not Using Seat Belts 25

26. Teen Driver Risks (continued)
Nighttime Driving
Alcohol, Marijuana and Other Drugs
Vehicle Type
Lack of Parental Management 26

27. Teen Crashes in Virginia
Of the 135,285 motor vehicle crashes in VA in 2008
8% involved year olds
12% involved year olds
Teens are more likely than adults to be involved in a crash.
Virginia Traffic Crash Facts: Department of Motor Vehicles, 2008 27

28. What Causes Teen Crashes?
Evidence shows that it is NOT poor driving skills that cause crashes among teen drivers.
It is inexperience and attitude. 28

29. Reducing Teen Driving Risks
Driving Inexperience: New drivers need a lot
of guided practice to recognize and correctly
respond to potential driving hazards.
Lack of Maturity: Teens can act like adults or
like children depending on the circumstances
and their motivation. 29

30. Teen Fatalities Not just a TEEN problem
Two out of every three people killed in a crash involving a teen driver were not teens.
AAA Foundation, 2006 30

31. What is the Safest Car? 31

32. True or False?
The family car is the safest car for your teen to drive.
Thumbs up if you think this statement is true, or thumbs down if you think it is false. 32

33. True! The safest car is the FAMILY CAR!33

34. Primary Versus Shared Access to Vehicles
Teens who have primary access to a vehicle are more than TWICE as likely to CRASH.
Primary access is defined as being the “main driver” of a vehicle rather than sharing a vehicle with other family members.
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, 2009 34

35. Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol
Drinking and driving is illegal at any age, and is especially dangerous for teens who are inexperienced drivers and inexperienced drinkers. 35

36. Alcohol and Teen Crashes
Two percent (2%) of drivers in alcohol-related crashes were years old.
Six percent (6%) of drivers in alcohol-related crashes were years old.
Where did they get the alcohol?
Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, 2008 36

37. The Truth About Teen Alcohol Use
A national survey showed that in a 30-day period, 28.5% of high school students nationwide had ridden one or more times in a vehicle driven by someone who had been drinking alcohol. 37
CDC Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance, 2005

38. Zero Tolerance Laws
If under the age of 21, it is illegal to purchase, possess, or consume alcohol. If convicted, the court will suspend driving privileges for one year, impose a mandatory fine of $500 or the completion of at least 50 hours of community service. 38
Code of Virginia §

39. Safety Belt Usage
Teen drivers and passengers use safety belts less than any other age group.
Safety belts keep teens in the car, and prevent them from hitting objects and passengers inside the vehicle. 39
Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, 2008

41. Seat Belt Usage
44% of the 15- to 17-year-olds killed were not wearing seatbelts.
38% of the 18- to 19-year-olds killed were not wearing seatbelts. 41

42. Seat Belt Laws in Virginia True or False?
Everyone sitting in the front seat MUST wear a seat belt.
Please stand if you think the statement above is true. 42

43. What is your “family law?”
True!
Everyone sitting in the front seat MUST wear a seat belt.
All persons under 18 must wear a seat belt regardless of where they are seated in the vehicle.
What is your “family law?”
Code of Virginia § 43

44. High Speeds
Most severe/fatal crashes for teens occur at high speeds, especially for males.
As speed increases so do the crash risks, crash force,
and crash severity. 44
Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, 2008

45. Teens and Fatigue
Teens require at least 9 hours of sleep, yet most get less than 6.5 hours each night.
16- to 24-year-olds comprise 14% of all drivers, but are involved in 50% of crashes caused by driving while fatigued.
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, 2009 45

46. Teens and Fatigue (continued)
Driving while tired has been compared to driving while intoxicated.
Being awake for 18 hours is similar to a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08.
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, 2009 46

47. For teens, the most severe crashes occur at night and on weekends.
Nighttime Driving
For teens, the most severe crashes occur at night and on weekends. 47

48. 2001-2002 Fatal Crashes Day versus Night
Number of crashes
Driver’s Age 48
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 2005

49. Curfew Restrictions True or False?
Curfew is from midnight until 4 a.m.
Please raise your hand if you think this statement is true. 49

50. Correct! This Statement is True!
Drivers under the age of 18, with a
LEARNER’S PERMIT or LICENSE, may
NOT drive from midnight to 4 a.m.
EXCEPTIONS INCLUDE:
In case of an emergency.
When traveling to and from work or a school-sponsored event.
When accompanied by a parent or other adult.
When responding to an emergency call as a volunteer firefighter or rescue squad member.
Code of Virginia § 50

51. Peer Influence
People are highly influenced by their peers, and they influence each other through:
Pressure
Modeling behaviors
Creating opportunities to engage in the behaviors
Philliber, 1999 51

52. Limit All Distractions!
Distracted driving
increases crash risk
4 to 9 times.
(Drews & Strayer, 2009) 52

54. Passenger Restrictions for a Learner’s Permit
Learner’s permit holders may have no more than ONE nonfamily passenger under the age of 18.
Code of Virginia,§ 54

55. Passenger Restrictions for a Driver’s License
True or False
Virginia law allows three (3) nonfamily teenage passengers to ride in a car driven by a driver who just turned seventeen (17).
Please raise your hand if you think the statement above is true. 55

56. False!
May have ONE nonfamily passenger under 18 years of age during the FIRST year.
May have THREE nonfamily passengers under the age of 18
after the license is held for one year or
when licensee reaches the age of 18.
Parents should consider adopting a NO PASSENGER rule!
Code of Virginia § 56

57. 57

58. 58

59. Virginia State Law for Cell Phone Use
True or False
Drivers under the age of 18 may use a cell phone but cannot text message while driving a vehicle.
Please stand if you think the
statement above is true. 59

60. False! If under the age of 18: While driving a car! NO cell phone
NO wireless devices (even hands free)
While driving a car!
Please note: It is against the law for all drivers to send or receive a text message!
Code of Virginia § 60

61. Don’t Drive Under the Influence of Technology!
Cell phone use increases the risk of crashes or near crashes four times!
(McEvoy et al., 2005)
Text messaging increases the risk of crashes or near crashes 23.2 times!
(Virginia Tech, 2009) 61

62. Multitasking is a Myth The brain cannot multitask.
Instead, you have divided attention as most tasks use the same parts of the brain.
For example: talking on the phone and writing an . You can’t focus on one while doing the other. 62

63. Parents CAN Enforce Zero Tolerance on Cell Phone Use
Following are examples of Web-based phone
applications that disable a phone while driving.
Key2safedriving: prevents calls while driving.
Zoom Safer: disables cellular phones while driving with the exception of emergency calls.
Textecution: Disables texting if going over 10 miles per hour. 63

65. 65

66. Who has the Greatest Influence on Teen Cell Phone Use?
Over 2/3 of teens said their parents’opinions about cell phone use was important to them.
Parents must recognize their influence on teen behaviors and encourage and model safe driving behaviors.
Driving Through the Eyes of Teens, 2007 66

67. Obtaining a Learner’s Permit
To be eligible for a learner’s permit, teens:
Must have parent permission.
Must be at least 15 years and 6 months of age.
Must provide proof of residency, identity, social security number, and legal presence.
Must pass a sign and general knowledge test. 67

68. Ready for the DMV Test?
Students should study the DMV Driver’s Manual and take the practice tests online at: If the teen fails the learner’s permit test 3 times after completing this course, he or she must complete another classroom driver education course before being eligible to take the test a 4th time. 68

69. Practice! Practice! Practice!
With a learner’s permit, the teen can practice driving with a licensed driver in the family who is 18 years or older, or any other licensed driver 21 years or older.
Parents should use the 45-hour Parent/Teen Driving Guide to guide the in-car lessons. This is available online or through your driver education teacher. 69

70. 45-Hour Parent/Teen Driving Guide70

71. Obtaining a Driver’s License
Must be at least 16 years and 3 months old.
Must hold a learner’s permit for 9 months.
Must complete a driver education program (classroom which includes a parent/teen presentation, and in-car which includes a road test). 71

72. Parents Must Sign and Provide a Driver’s License or DMV-Issued ID Number for the Following Forms
Registration form at a parent/teen program.
Driving log certifying the teen has driven at least 45 hours (15 after sunset).
Parent permission form acknowledging the importance of good academic standing and granting the school permission to issue a driver’s license.
Six-month temporary driver licensing form (TDL-180). 72

73. Juvenile Licensing Ceremony
Family will receive notice of date to appear within the initial 180–day licensing period.
Judge will give the hard copy of the driver’s license to the PARENT at a ceremony which is held at the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court that serves the student’s zip code.
Student must dress appropriately, be on time, and bring the learner’s permit and 180-day temporary driver’s license. 73

74. Basic Requirements for Classroom Driver Education
36 periods of classroom Driver Education (DE) is included in the curriculum for 10th-grade Health Education.
Classroom DE is divided into 10 instructional modules prescribed by the Virginia Departments of Education and Motor Vehicles.
Parents and students must attend a 90-minute traffic safety presentation. 74

75. To Be Eligible for In-Car Instruction the Student Must
Successfully complete a classroom driver education course.
Complete enrollment and parent permission forms.
Pay an in-car fee.
Students are then added to the behind-the-wheel list and taken in chronological order based on eligibility and age. 75

76. Behind-the-Wheel Instruction
Is taught before, during, and after school.
Includes 7 periods driving and 7 periods observing.
Is standards-based instruction (SOL).
Progresses from simple to more complex driving skills, and from a parking lot, to low-, moderate- and higher-risk driving environments. 76

77. Developing Safe Driving Skills77

78. True or False?
The safest position to place your hands on the steering wheel for most driving situations is 9 o’clock and 3 o’clock.
Please raise your hand if you believe the statement above is true. 78

79. False!
Eight (8) and four(4) are the safest hand positions for most driving situations.

81. 8 and 4 Push-Pull-Slide Steering Reduces
Excessive steering which may cause run-off-the-road and off-road recovery crashes.
Injuries in the event of air bag deployment.
Unnecessary movement of steering wheel which leads to more stability and control.
Fatigue and back pain during long periods of driving.
10 inches 81

82. Blind Spot Glare Elimination Mirror Setting (BGE)
Old mirror setting shows your vehicle
New mirror setting shows lane to side
BGE greatly reduces the blind zones around your car and glare of headlights from vehicle behind you.
Adjusting the side mirror settings approximately 15 degrees outward allows you to see the lanes to the sides of the vehicle.
Make sure your child shows you how to
reduce your blind zones! 82

84. Controlling Vehicle Balance
Balance is maintained through:
precise, smooth steering movements.
progressive, smooth acceleration.
gradual, controlled application of brake and smooth release.
the ability to manage time and space. 84

85. What Actually Controls Your Vehicle?
Control of your vehicle is completely dependant upon these four tire patches in contact with the pavement. Each tire patch is approximately the size of a dollar bill.
Tire Patches 85

86. Controlling Vehicle Balance
Roll: vehicle’s weight shifts from side to side reducing the size of tire patch on one side. 86

87. Pitch: vehicle’s weight shifts to front or rear tires
Rear Pitch: Changing vehicle load from front to rear when releasing brake or accelerating.
DROPS
LIFTS
DROPS
LIFTS
Front Pitch: Changing vehicle load from rear to front occurs when braking or releasing accelerator. 87

88. Yaw: Vehicle loses traction to the rear
When a vehicle loses traction to the rear, the vehicle tends to move to the left or right around its center of gravity. 88

89. If You Have Space You will Never Crash!
How much space do you need?
At these speeds and on dry surfaces, this distance, in seconds, allows the driver to either steer or brake out of problem areas
Two (2) Seconds
Under 35 MPH
Three (3) Seconds
36-45 MPH
Four (4) Seconds
46-70 MPH
Recommended Following Intervals 89

90. School Data
The following slides show crash data for Loudoun County Public Schools. This data is available on the VDOE website at: 90

91. LCPS Crash Data 2005-08 (1st Year Crashes/BTW training LCPS)

92. LCPS vs Commercial School Crash Rates 2005 - 2008

93. Law Enforcement Keeps Us Safe!
Loudoun County Sheriff’s Department and Leesburg Police 93

94. If Stopped by a Police Officer
Remain Calm
Pull off to right side of roadway- position your vehicle as far away from traffic as possible
Turn on your flashers.
Turn off engine and all other vehicle devices that could hinder communication with the officer 94

95. If Stopped by a Police Officer (Continued)
Lower your window to communicate with the officer.
Keep ALL safety belts fastened.
Stay in your vehicle. Do not get out unless asked to by the officer.
Keep hands in plain view on the steering wheel. 95

96. If Stopped by a Police Officer (Continued)
Carry all proper identification and when the officer asks for these, tell him/her where they are located before reaching for them.
Answer the officer’s questions fully and clearly.
Follow all directions/instructions. 96

97. Move Over or Slow Down Law
If an emergency vehicle is stopped on the shoulder of the highway, you must change lanes away from the stopped emergency vehicle. 
If you can’t change lanes, you must slow down and pass with caution. 
Maximum penalty: $2,500 fine,12 months in jail, and suspension of driver’s license for two years. 97

98. Parents’ Rules for Keeping Young Drivers Safe
Students whose parents limit initial driving privileges (e.g., driving at night, or teenage passengers) and have written contracts are less likely to engage in risky driving or get tickets and have crashes.
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, 2009 98

99. Negotiate and Establish
Driving rules and consequences.
Driving limits and ways to increase privileges.
Where and when teens may drive.
Financial responsibilities.
*Written contracts are much more effective than verbal ones! 99

101. Parent/Teen Driving Contract
Please take the next few minutes to review and discuss the sample contract provided in your packet.
101

102. Don’t change because of a tragedy - change to avoid tragedy
102

103. Thank YOU!
We appreciate the opportunity to be a part of the solution and hope the information and parenting tips provided in this presentation will keep your teen driver safe!
Please complete the program evaluation and registration form and drop them in the box as you leave.
103

104. References
Allstate Foundation,
CDC Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System,
104

105. References (Continued)
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Keeping Young Drivers Safe,
Code of Virginia,
Frontline, Inside the Teenage Brain,
105

106. References (Continued)
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety,
Virginia Department of Motor
Virginia Tech Transportation Institute,
106