Parents fear the worst, yet underrate their responsibility in assuring the driving safety of their children. Many feel it is the responsibility of driver education programs to teach their teens the rules of the road and how to handle a vehicle.



Teenagers need at least 30 to 50 hours behind the wheel before they begin to understand the real dangers of the road and develop safe driving skills. In reality, our teenagers are only getting 1 to 6 hours behind the wheel of a car in driver's ed, in every state. That is barely enough time to understand the laws required to pass the driving test and handle the car in even the most basic traffic situations.

"Parents have the ultimate responsibility to ensure that their teenagers develop safe driving skills and behaviors," according to Timothy C. Smith, author of Crash Proof Your Kids, Make Your Teen a Safer, Smarter Driver. He also adds, "But too many, either underestimating their role or lacking effective methods, have failed to help equip their teen sto handle the single most dangerous thing they will ever do, at their most risky age."

After a rash of fatal car crashes in his neighborhood, all of which involved mistakes by teen drivers, Smith, a father of three teenagers, realized it was time to get involved in helping his own teenagers develop safe driving skills. When he tried to find information on the subject of safe driving, he found there was very little useful information available to teens and parents to take them well beyond basic driver's ed.

Smith was an award-winning author and trained race car driver, so he decided to do further research and created the Crashproof Plan, a step by step plan designed to significantly reduce teen car crashes. Following his blueprint to safe teenage driving will give your teenager the skills needed to survive on the roads today, and successfully deal with adverse driving situations.

The following tips might just save your teens life:

Sit down and discuss with your teen all the dangers and issues involved: speeding, road rage, drinking, drugs, distractions, cell phones, passengers, curfews etc. The steps to learning how to drive are complex but signing a Crashproof Contract to outline the boundaries, penalties, and incentives involved for driving decisions will help them understand the process.

Get your teen's participation in this process and agreement, to create a plan for your teen to safely assume the responsibility for use of a car. Help them understand this is about helping them deal with the single most dangerous thing they will probably ever do.

It is important to always remain a positive role model. Your children learn from you, they will emulate the driving habits you have showed them long before it was even time for them to starting thinking about learning. You cannot expect your teenagers to get into the car, use their seat belts, and practice safe driving practices if they don't see you doing the same thing.

Adhere to the speed limit, signal when turning, be a courteous driver and never use a cell phone while driving. Always keep in mind, your children are watching you, learning from your behavior and imitating you.

Communicating with your children is key to them becoming safer and smarter drivers. Don't criticize your teen, but emphasize on the measures needed for safe driving. Always remain calm while your teen is driving, and focus on constructive methods to focus on their driving more efficiently. You do not want your teens to stop listening, so make your time together and your lessons positive, with specific goals for each driving lesson.

Start slow with simple exercises that reinforce safe driving habits. Try drills such as breaking in emergency situations, handling a car in inclement weather, night time driving, city streets and highway driving. Get your teen behind the wheel in every driving condition you can think of. Practice overcoming the specific challenges each driving situations presents.

Get started with these proactive strategies excerpted from the Crashproof Plan to help your teens be safer, smarter drivers. You will sleep better at night knowing that you did your part in giving your children the skills they need to return home safely every time they take a drive.