ASK AN EXPERT: How Can Parents Help Keep Teens Safe Behind the Wheel?

This fall, hundreds of thousands of teenagers across the country began driver's ed. Cher Carney (96MS), a senior research associate at the National Advanced Driving Simulator at the UI, has spent the past decade studying teen driving behavior and offers the following tips to help parents with the transition:

1. Model and talk about safe driving habits with your children, such as wearing seatbelts, avoiding cell phone distractions, and watching for potential hazards.
2. At the age of supervised driving, have your teen practice at least 40 hours (but ideally 70), including during various times of day and weather conditions and on different types of roadways.
3. Limit your licensed teen's time driving in the riskiest conditions: at night and with peers as passengers.