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Teen Driving Stories

Sneak Peek : Teen Driving Challenge

Take an early look at what the teen driving course has to offer: shuffle steering, threshold braking, off road recovery. Sign up now for a course in your county. (video)

Local high schoolers competing in national contest

Bloomingdale High School is one of 2 Florida schools and one of only 10 high schools across the country chosen to compete in a teen activism contest. 

Extra: How are your teens driving?

Each year, vehicle crashes kill more American teens than alcohol, drugs and suicide combined. Tampa Bay’s 10 installs hidden cameras in a teen’s car to find out what makes young drivers so dangerous. (more)

Many teens admit risky driving habits

DETROIT — Teen drivers admit that they're prone to text messaging, talking on cell phones and hauling their friends around in the car. (more)

Teen Driving Information

Seven Do and Don't Do Guidelines When Instructing Your Teenager To Drive.

1. Put "safety" above everything else when driving. Try not doing too much too soon. 

2. Don't rush the training process. If you do, you risk putting your teenager in a situation beyond yours and your teenager's abilities to handle. 

3. "Know what you want to do" before you and your teenager begin a practice session. Tell your teenager what the two of you will practice. 

4. Encourage your teenager  to give you feedback. Make sure your teenager feels comfortable trying what you plan to practice. 

5. When you give your teenager driving instructions, use a calm tone. 

6. Never wait the last minute telling your teenager what you want he or she to do. 

7. Be specific. Never point with your finger and say, "let's go over there". Instead, say to your teenager, "when you reach the next traffic light, turn right into the supermarket's parking lot". Don't expect your teenager to read your mind.

Methodically take your new teen driver through nine (9) distinct steps.

Parking Lot...  Take your teenager to a open parking lot area, like a shopping mall, or somewhere no cars can interfere. The last place to begin training a new teen driver is pedestrian streets/roads, no matter how much traffic may be traveling them. 

Street driving... Once your young teen driver demonstrates control over a few fundament skills, go the next step driving low-traffic pedestrian streets, and roads. 

Destination driving – supermarket, church, high school, movie theater...  As your young teen driver's skills progress effectively managing traffic, practice driving to locations he/she is likely to frequent or visit. By the time your Teen Driver is ready to drive solo, going to these destinations will be familiar.

Freeway driving...  At some point your Teen Driver is going to drive on freeways at speeds equaling and exceeding 55 miles per hour. Judge how ready your teenager is to take this next step. Freeways are dangerous to drive when inexperience, especially entering, and exiting them.

Map driving...  Here, you and your Teen Driver can practice the finer points of driving, which include following a map and driving in areas somewhat unfamiliar. Teach your young teen driver where to safely stop for directions to reach a certain destination. Have him/her do it a few times.

Night street driving...  It is one thing to drive in the daylight, it is another experience to drive at night. Basically, your Teen Driver’s training sessions start over. But this time at a different level of risk and skill level required.

Situation driving...  Simulate and role play real life driving situations your Teen Driver will encounter. In these sessions, you will carefully introduce to your Teen Driver distractions, tensions and temptations to learn resisting, and managing.  For instance, pretend being a peer-teenager. Talk about how your teen driver should manage the situation.

Self-Direct...  In this section you will probably have the most fun as Parent/Coach. The goal is to build your Teen Driver’s base of experience with hours of unstructured driving. Have your young teen driver chauffeur you on errands; judge whether your young teen driver can join the rotation driving on longer trips.