Teen Driving Safety is a top concern of any parent. And it has been pretty much since adolescents first asked for the keys.
But the future where driverless cars immaculately pilot themselves down the road is still on the horizon. And not yet a reality.
⇒ Check out SUVs with Chevy’s Teen Driver Safety Tech
Until that day comes we parents still have plenty of good reasons for concern. Because 2,042 people were killed in accidents involving teen drivers – and that’s a stat from 019 alone.
So, how do we parents approach the subject of teen driver safety? Luckily, a technology from carmakers like Chevrolet is available to help.
First, let’s take a look at what the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration – NHTSA – suggests for teen drivers.
⇒Continue reading below and click play to listen.⇐
Teen Driver Safety Report Card – Chevy.com
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Teen Driver Safety And The GDL System
Every state in the union as well as DC has enacted something called the Graduated Driver Licensing laws – aka GDL.
So, GDL laws include a set of guidelines set out by the NHTSA designed to improve safety. Typically it includes three stages, the Learners Permit, the Provisional License, and Full Licensure.
During each stage, teen drivers should demonstrate responsible habits before advancing to the next. While supervised teen drivers rarely crash, those who are unsupervised are a part of the group that experiences the highest crash rates.
To improve teen driving safety, it’s important that parents do a few things:
- First, the NHTSA recommends knowing your state’s GDL law.
- Then follow up with your teen(s) by sharing important driving tips. (It’s also vital to set ground rules and consequences in writing.)
- Also, the NHTSA says to be a good role model.
And I highlight being a good role model because we all have our bad habits behind the wheel. Myself included for certain!
For specifics on GDL Systems, refer to your state’s Department Of Motor Vehicles website.
But if you’re in California like me, then see below.
California’s GDL System
So, I find this strange but not surprising at the same time. The state of California’s Department of Motor Vehicles website offers only this 63-page document from 2003.
I find it strange because it’s not at all user-friendly and it’s merely a link to a pdf file. Conversely, do not find it surprising because… it’s from the California government.
Overall, it seems the state of California could do better to help parents keep their kids safe on the road. Then again, the state of California could do better in countless areas… but that’s another topic. :0)
Chevrolet’s Teen Driving Safety Technology
Many manufacturers feature advanced safety technology of one sort or another but Chevrolet has a focus on teen safety.
And I love that for a number of reasons. Including teens being the least experienced drivers on the road. Plus they’re increasingly distracted.
Moreover, you’re reading this and I’m around to write it. This means we’ve been teen drivers and lived through all the dumb stuff we did. (I’m not alone here – right?)
So Chevy’s Teen Driving Safety Technology is cool because it leverages software built into the car. With a heavy focus on keeping newer drivers safe while encouraging good habits.
And by addressing some of the most common causes of car crashes involving young drivers, the technology keeps your teen safe.
But it also maintains their passengers’ safety. Plus, let’s face it, everyone else on the roads is kept safer too.
What Chevy’s Teen Driving Safety Technology Does
Specifically, Chevrolet’s Teen Driving Safety tech includes a suite of simple but effective tools. And those tools are both active and passive.
So they’re active in that when engaged, they safely limit your teen driver’s access to the car’s functionality – in real-time.
But Chevy’s Teen Driving Safety tech is also passive. For example, when engaged the technology monitors your teen’s driving behavior. And then, sort of like a black box on an airplane, it generates a report card for Dad and Mom to review later.
Teen Driver Report Card
As a result, Mom and Dad can take that driving data report card and use it in many ways. The most obvious usage of the driving data is deciding whether or not to let your teen drive the car again!
But you can take it deeper than that. Because with the report card you can sit with your teen and review their driving behavior. And do so from a starting point based on factual information on their driving.
So by having a dialogue based on factual data your teen driver might be more likely to share additional context with you behind the data. Thus giving you further insight into their driving behavior.
Perhaps the most powerful of all is your teen’s simple knowledge that their behavior behind the wheel is being reported.
Because when they know Dad and Mom will be reviewing their report card and how they did behind the wheel – they’re far less likely to do something wrong in the first place!
Active Safety Functions
And if the teen driver safety report card isn’t enough of a deterrent to keep your kids focused on the road, there’s more.
Because the active safety functions stand as helpful reminders during the execution of real-time driving. Some of the options even limit the vehicle’s functionality.
Teen Driving Problems
Even more, Chevrolet has addressed three problem areas of teen driving with safety-tech solutions specific to each.
- Speed: No surprise here, teens are and have always been more likely than older drivers to exceed the speed limits.
- Seat belts: When riding with other people in the car, just 61% of students in high school wear their safety belts.
- Music: As if it’s a rite of passage, 93% of teen drivers play music so loud that it qualifies as distracting the driver.
Chevy Safety Tech Solutions
- Speed: Teen Driver Safety from Chevy governs the vehicle from traveling more than 85 mph. Plus you can set visual and audible warnings at lesser speeds.
- Seat belts: The technology automatically mutes the vehicle’s audio until the driver and passenger have buckled up.
- Music: This allows you to set a limit on the maximum volume of the car’s sound system.
Nearly all Chevy SUVs, trucks, and cars have Teen Driving Safety technology available. And the system is easy to set up as well as use.
All the latest Chevy news HERE.
Chevrolet, find new roads!
