Parental Involvement

Posted on May 14, 2012 by Charlie_Halfen

Parents play a critical role in teen driver training, and it begins by creating a culture of safe driving while their children are young. Most teens will have more than 5,000 hours in a vehicle, watching their parents, before they ever sit behind the wheel. Even though they grow up riding in a car, a high percentage of teens fail their first written state test on the rules of the road. As pointed out in a 2005 Allstate Foundation Report, Chronic: A Report on the State of Teen Driving, “Whether they fear losing driving privileges, or because they genuinely count on parents for guidance—or a combination of the two—teens say their parents exercise the strongest influence on their driving behavior.”

Driving is a physical and mental skill, much like baseball, basketball or playing a musical instrument. We’re not very good the first time we play. Over many years, through our own practice and experiences, we become better. Striking out or playing the wrong note in a concert may feel terrible, but they are not life-changing events. Failing to clear an intersection because we’re young and inexperienced can hurt and injure people. During this learning period, parental guidance and coaching is the key to your teen avoiding car crashes in the future.

Be honest and straightforward when it comes to correcting unsafe driving habits. One of the first “close calls” that happens when a new driver gets behind the wheel will be turning left in front of oncoming traffic. For young drivers, it is hard to judge the speed of the oncoming vehicles. If they turn too close to an approaching vehicle, have them pull the car over and discuss the seriousness of what happened. Intersection crashes are one of the most common fatality crashes. This talk may just save their life.

As outlined in the “Parents” section of Toyota Teen Driver, with proper tools parents can teach their teens to drive. Even though you may not feel prepared to take on the role of Driver’s Ed instructor, this responsibility usually does fall on a teen’s parents. As you begin coaching your teen, Toyota Teen Driver is a great starting place.

April is Distracted Driving Month

Posted on April 11, 2012 by Discovery Education

This April is Distracted Driving Month and new research shows that young drivers are still not taking distracted driving as seriously as they should. A new survey conducted for State Farm by Harris Interactive found that more than half, 57%, of drivers ages 16 and 17 still text while driving. This number is even more alarming when compared to the 2010 State Farm survey, which asked the same question and received the same results. More than two years later, not much has changed.

Despite the actual driving habits of teens, the survey reveals that young drivers are aware of the impact that texting and driving can have on their lives. According to the survey, 76% of teens ages 14-17 agree that “if you regularly text and drive, someday you will be killed while driving, “ and 93% agree that “if you regularly text and drive, someday you will get into an accident.”

So what can you do to prevent distracted driving? The survey emphasizes the important role that parents play in their own teen’s behavior. 67% of teens who text while driving say that they also talk to their parents about driving as compared to 82% of teens who don’t text while driving, showcasing the influence that parents can have over their young drivers. Take time to speak with your teenager about the effects of distracted driving this month and lead by example in your own life by putting away your phone when behind the wheel.

Toyota Teen Driver has a variety of parent resources to help start the conversation with your teen driver – including a mutual driving agreement that you and your teen can complete together. For more information, click here.

Welcome to the Toyota Teen Driver Blog!

Posted on December 22, 2011 by Discovery Education

We are so excited to have a place to share important information as it relates to new teen drivers. Our hope is to develop a community of learning and sharing amongst parents who are all facing the same life change – when their teenager becomes a new driver. We will be featuring driver safety tips, conversation starters, resources, news, and more throughout the spring for you and your first-time teen driver. We hope you take this opportunity to not only learn new ways to help your teen driver become safer on the road, but also share any ideas you might have with other parents or ask questions of our experts.

Please feel free to start sharing any thoughts here on what you hope to see discussed in the future.

We are excited to have you join us in keeping our teen drivers safer behind the wheel.