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Freedom: It comes with a price
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Is he really ready?
He’s 17, and he’s chomping at the bit to get behind the wheel. He’s gone through the drivers training classes, and so far he’s done fine on his drivers permit – now it’s time for him to go solo, that's when you hear; “Can I borrow the car Friday night?”
What’s a concerned parent supposed to do? You know you need to show some trust in him, you know that this moment is pivotal to his growth and independence. You also know that the CDC says that teenagers his age account for 30% ($19 million) of the total cost of vehicle injuries (28% among females of that age).
The CDC also reports:
“Among teen drivers, those at especially high risk for motor
vehicle crashes are:
• Males: In 2005, the motor vehicle death rate for male
drivers and passengers ages 16 to 19 was more than one and a half times that of their female counterparts.
• Teens driving with teen passengers: The presence of teen passengers increases the crash risk of unsupervised teen drivers. This risk increases with the number of teen passengers.
• Newly licensed teens: Crash risk is particularly high during the first year that teenagers are eligible to drive.”
So, what do you do? You let him use the car Friday night. Yes, you’ll probably stay up until he arrives safe and sound, but you can breathe a little easier because you required him to go through an accredited Graduated Driver Licensing program (GDL). You understand that because of this type of licensing he must be back before nightfall (until he has more experience and reached full licensure), and that because he went through a GDL program, he has reduced his chances of an accident up to 43%.
You made sure he had the best training – you’ve talked with him and taught him well – now it’s time to let the wings flex (even if it is in a graduated fashion).
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