What’s your role for your teen driver?
When your teen is in the driver’s seat, you’re far more than just a passenger. Your job is to steer your teen into a lifetime of safe driving. As a team, the two of you can navigate Colorado’s laws and safety guidelines.
What you should do:
> Learn Colorado’s Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) laws.
> Enroll your teen in driver education.
> Supervise your teen’s driving.
> Set family rules and limits by creating a Parent/Teen Driving Contract.
> Impose consequences for violations.
What is GDL?
Colorado first adopted a Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) law in 1999 after a horrific crash in Greeley that killed four teens. The 16-year-old driver had just gotten his license and had little driving experience when his friends hopped in his car and he ran a stop sign. GDL laws help teenagers gain important driving skills gradually while limiting dangers by restricting the number of passengers, banning cell phone use and setting a curfew. GDL laws have saved the lives of countless Colorado teens.
Encouraging news – GDL works…
…Yet…alarming stats on teen driving
> Teens are less likely than adults to understand the risks of driving because they lack experience. Their brains are still developing, affecting judgment while driving.
> Sixteen-year-old drivers have the highest crash involvement rate of any age group in Colorado and are nearly three times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash than the average of all other drivers.
> Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for young adults aged 15-20.
Parents
