A comprehensive program to support parents of new teen drivers [R8]

The objective of this project was to create a comprehensive program, called Time to Drive, to support parents of beginning drivers in North Carolina. The program provides critical guidance to parents at various points in the licensing process when this guidance is most needed. Time to Drive includes: • An in-person parent coaching session that encourages parents to provide their teens with a substantial amount of supervised driving practice in a wide variety of settings; • A method for driver education instructors to meet with parents to discuss the progress and proficiency of their teen driver, and to remind them of their role and responsibility in helping their teen become a safe driver; • A smartphone app that encourages diversified practice during supervised driving and allows parents to easily keep track of the amount and variety of practice teens have gained; • A competency assessment guide that helps parents gauge a teen’s readiness to drive independently, and to determine the types of settings/environments in which the teen still needs practice; • Tools for parents about how to enforce GDL restrictions and how to choose a safe vehicle for a new teen driver; This is the first such program in the nation. After appropriate outcome evaluation, the program could serve as a model for other states.