Keep teenage drivers safe

If you're the parent of a teen, you are probably frightened about the alarming accident statistics regarding teen drivers. But there are steps you can take. Research shows that when parents take an active role in their teens' driving education and set certain guidelines, their teens' chances of being in a crash can be reduced by up to one-third.

But what specific actions should you take? Chrysler Group's Road Ready Teens program offers these safety tips for parents based on research and advocated by the nation's top safety organizations:

• You hold the keys. Parents can and should set the rules for the teen drivers in their families. If those rules are broken, driving privileges should be suspended.
• Buckling up is mandatory. You should require your teen and all passengers to always fasten their safety belts when in a motor vehicle.
• A crowd is a crowd. Limit the number of passengers with whom your teen drives, because research has shown that teenagers are easily distracted when others are in the vehicle.
• Practice makes perfect. Spend supervised practice driving time with your teen to assess and improve their driving abilities.
• Don't allow them to be driven to distraction. Restrict cell phone use and other distractions while the vehicle is in motion.
• Driving is a privilege to be earned. Give teens greater driving privileges gradually, as they gain experience.
• Don't fight the law. Make sure you know your state's laws for young drivers. Restrictions could include nighttime driving limits and passenger restrictions.

Road Ready Teens is a research-based program to help parents safely ease their teens into driving while gradually exposing them to and educating them about the risks they face on the road. The program includes Get Road Ready: A Parent's Guide to Safely Ease Teens into Driving, and an online driving video game, Road Ready StreetWise, that increases teens' awareness and understanding of driving risks.

Road Ready Teens is sponsored by Chrysler Group along with its program partners: the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA), American Automobile Association (AAA), Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), the National Safety Council (NSC), HP, and WildTangent.

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