For decades, acquiring a driver’s license was a teenager’s first major step toward adulthood. No longer dependent on their parents for rides, when it’s time for your teen to drive is when they finally get a taste of independence. Meanwhile, parents enjoy the benefit of not having to schlep their teens all over town. The downside for a parent is the understandable concern about a teen’s safe driving habits. When it’s time for your teen to drive, do you know what to consider?
Statistically, parents have good reason to worry. Teenagers are three times more likely to get in a fatal accident than 20-year-olds. Because of parental and community concerns over such troubling statistics, teenage drivers now face increased costs and tougher course requirements to earn driving privileges through new teen driving laws.

When It’s Time for Your Teen to Drive

In light of harsher penalties for speeding and other infractions, young drivers may feel compelled to sit tight in the passenger seat. According to the Boston Globe, the number of 16 and 17-year-old drivers in Massachusetts has declined by one-fourth since 2006, one year before the graduated license law took place.

Although new laws are credited with a 75 percent decrease in fatal accidents involving teenage drivers, according to the Massachusetts RMV, the reduced amount of licensed teens suggests drivers haven’t just become savvy pupils—they’re simply not driving. Rather than sheltering teens from risks and obstacles, this paradigm shift offers parents an opportunity to share safe driving expectations and accountability with their kids. Parents can motivate their teenaged kids to get behind the wheel and safely reclaim their independence.

Practice Makes Perfect

Turning 16 marks the start of driver training. For example, in Massachusetts driving laws require a gradual path toward obtaining unrestricted driving privileges. Complete with a combination of tests, classroom instruction and supervised driving, smooth travels on the road to responsible driving are imperative for staying on course. To get off on the right foot, help your teen to drive and pass the written permit exam with proper pre-test preparation. According to driving-tests.org, 72 percent of people fail their permit test the first time. Free permit practice tests enable your teen to answer sample questions based on Massachusetts driving laws as many times as needed to ensure a passing grade.

Use Your Time Wisely

To gain driving privileges, Massachusetts teens must pass a multi-step process that consists of the following:

• 40 hours of parent-supervised driving hours
• 12 hours behind the wheel with an instructor
• 30 hours of classroom instruction
• 6 hours of in-car observation

Parents are also required to attend a two-hour seminar in order for drivers under 18 to get their license.

Attack this rigorous schedule with a vengeance. By working together, you’ll teach your teen valuable lessons in organization, persistence and hard work. To help record your teen’s progress, download the RoadReady app. This helpful tool allows you to log driving time, monitor progress against state driving requirements and export a printable driving log.

Actions and Consequences

Drivers on a Junior Operator license are one step closer to achieving full driving rights. The next few months are critical to your teen’s driving success. What some might consider minor infractions are serious offenses under Massachusetts law. On a first speeding offense, Junior Operators will face a 90-day license suspension in addition to the following:

• $50 fine
• $10 additional fine for each mile in excess of 10 miles per hour over the speed limit
• $50 surcharge
• $500 reinstatement fee
• $75 fee for required attitudinal retraining course
• $50 for retaking the written and road tests

Make sure you are well-versed on your state laws and go over them with your child before you allow your teen to drive. The AllState Foundation provides a downloadable agreement that includes important talking points to discuss with your responsible driver. The agreement also requires signatures from both parties to ensure everyone is on the same page with driving expectations.

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Emily Roberts MA, LPC is The Guidance Girl. Her goal is to help YOU become the most confident person you know! Emily is an award-winning author Express Yourself: A Teen Girls Guide to Speaking Up and Becoming Who You Are, Psychotherapist, TV & Media Contributor, Educational Speaker, and parenting consultant. She travels around the country educating girls, women, and parents. Express Yourself is available at bookstores nationwide and on Amazon. To learn more about Emily click here.