An article about the risks of teen driving quotes Corinne Peek-Asa, University of Iowa professor of occupational and environmental health, who says, “The conflicts between setting rules and restrictions, such as when and to where the teen can drive, with the need to motivate teens to choose safe behaviors on their own, is a challenge for parents.  Rules about when to be home are easily enforced, but a rule about wearing a seat belt is very difficult to enforce when teens begin driving independently (because parents usually cannot watch the teen in the car).

“Often, parents don’t start thinking about safety until their teen begins learning how to drive, but the seeds to become a safe driver can be planted long before that.  Modeling safe behaviors and making safety a priority are important from very early in childhood. Parents should start to talk about and model safe behavior as early and often as possible.”