Drive Safe Challenge | A Great Resource for Parents with Teen Drivers

This is a partnered post with Mercury Insurance to share about the Drive Safe Challenge. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I remember being a teenager and looking forward to the day I could get behind the steering wheel of a vehicle and drive. There was something so rewarding about being able to go wherever I wanted to go, whenever I wanted to. Being an excited teenager, I never really thought about how my parents felt about me driving and being on my own. But now that I have a 14-year-old at home, I’m beginning to panic about my child reaching driving age.

Driving is such a huge responsibility and one that I didn’t even fully understand as a teenager. I wish I could go back and tell my 16-year-old self about all the things I did wrong and how dangerous it was for me and everyone else on the road with me. Thankfully I didn’t become a tragic statistic – in 2015, 3,114 teen drivers and passengers were killed and 297,000 teens were injured in car crashes.

Drive Safe Challenge

I’m really excited to partner and work with Mercury Insurance to bring awareness to the Drive Safe Challenge with a new infographic this fall. Did you know that the most dangerous time on the road falls between Memorial Day and Labor Day? But it’s even more dangerous for young, inexperienced drivers.

That’s where the Drive Safe Challenge comes in. Its purpose is to help reduce, or even stop, teen driver accidents and death.

What is the Drive Safe Challenge?

Helpful Tips for Parents

The Drive Safe Challenge was designed to assist parents by teaching teens safe driving and collision avoidance techniques, laws and information, how to select the right vehicle and much more. There are many resources available that will help teens prepare for life behind the wheel.

A Drive Safe Contract

As a parent of a teen, it’s up to you to get more involved and teach your teenager about the dangers of driving. Teenagers need to understand driving is a privilege that comes with big responsibilities, including no speeding or drinking. The contract covers the most important parts about learning to drive with your new teen.

What Does the Drive Safe Challenge Contract Include?

It includes rules for teen drivers and rules for parents of teen drivers and helps to keep everyone responsible. Everyone must do their part to ensure that the Drive Safe Challenge accomplishes the goal of reducing, or even stopping, teen driver accidents and death.

I’ve learned from my children that they need to know the whys. I’m not sure if it’s just my children, but I can tell them all day not to put their fingers in an electrical outlet, yet curiosity gets the best of them. If they don’t know the whys, they will want to figure out the whys for themselves.

Explaining to your children why they need to keep their eyes on the road, why they need to obey the laws and regulations, and why they need to keep their hands on the steering wheel could be the difference between life and death. Don’t let them try to figure out the whys when it comes to driving. It’s way too dangerous, not only for them, but others on the road as well.

If you have a teen driver or soon-to-be teen driver at home, I highly recommend downloading the Drive Safe Challenge Contract and explain the whys to them. Give them the opportunity to make smart decisions in everything they do, but especially when it comes to safe driving.