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
