How to Write up a Contract With Your Teenage Driver

More teenagers die in car crashes each year than from any other cause. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 3,000 teens ages 15 through 19 died in car accidents in 2009 and more than 350,000 teens received emergency room treatment for injuries. It's unrealistic to keep your teen from driving due to your fear. However, as the parent, you can give your teen a set of rules and consequences so he appreciates the enormous responsibility and privilege of driving.

Prepare the Contract

• 1

  Arm yourself with statistics on teenage driving accidents. Be prepared to answer your child's questions. Write down all the misunderstandings you want to prevent by having a "driving contract."

• 2

  Evaluate your teen's level of maturity for handling responsibility. Ask yourself if she will follow your rules. Picture how you will follow through on rule infractions.

• 3

  Decide who will pay for gas, insurance and repairs. Make driver education mandatory as a "rite of passage."

• 4

  Design the consequences for each rule infraction. Impose the most severe consequences for the worst breaches of contract.

Present the Contract

• 1
  Accept no excuses for this combination. to drunk to drive image by Marjan Veljanoski from Fotolia.com

  Make the most important rule, "no driving impaired." Never waiver on suspending driving privileges if he breaks this rule. Remind him that you love him and want him safe.

• 2

  Establish a curfew. Make it clear that you wait and worry about her safety when she breaks curfew.

• 3

  Be aware that most accidents involving teen drivers occur with friends in the car. Put off this privilege for a period of time.

• 4

  Require your teen to keep his grades up or lose driving privileges. Realize that once he has wheels, his interest in school may falter.

• 5

  Consider keeping your teen's car in your name until he proves responsible.