Understanding Graduated Driver Licensing Laws: For Parents of Teens
21 Jun 2017
Although there was a 53 percent decline in teenage driver fatalities between the years 2005 and 2014, teen drivers are twice as likely to get into in a fatal accident as adult drivers.
Research conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has found that the inexperience and immaturity contribute to these fatal accidents. Both these factors lead to high-risk driving behavior such as:
- Drinking and driving
- Driving at night
- Driving distracted (electronic devices, teen passengers, etc.)
The United States and the District of Columbia have passed graduated driver licensing (GDL) laws. These laws are enforced to provide more time for teen drivers to learn safe driving behavior and complex skills needed to drive a vehicle.
Teen drivers can learn safe driving practices and road rules through driver education classes; however, the GDL program also controls their exposure to driving experiences and eases them into more driving experiences that become increasingly difficult.
How the GDL System Works
Each state has its own GDL laws, but all the GDL programs have three NHTSA recommended stages. Certain restrictions and provisions determine each stage as well as the type of license teens hold. During each stage, teen drivers between the ages of 15 to 18 years old must exhibit responsible and safe driving behavior before they may advance to the next stage.
You can find the GDL laws of your state through this website since laws vary.
What you Can do as a Parent to Help your Teen Driver
There are certain things you can do to help your teen become a safer and responsible driver. These include:
- Providing your teen with the state required supervised driving hours
- Getting a parent supervised driving guide and a driver manual for your teen through your licensing agency’s website
- Investing in a GPS teen tracking device to keep an eye on your teen’s driving behavior
- Keeping a daily log of your teenager’s driving
- Establishing driving rules and explaining the consequences of not abiding by them
After you’ve set the ground rules for driving for your teen, be sure they understand them and explain the consequences to them if they break any of your rules. Put these rules into writing and make sure you enforce them. Be sure your teen understands the violations of not following the GDL program such as distracted driving; it could cost them their license or delay them from getting it.
Do you have a teen that just started to drive? If so, consider getting a GPS vehicle tracking device for your peace of mind. Call us today at 1-888-544-0494 to learn about all the benefits of a LiveView GPS teen tracking device.
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