DOVER, Del.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In its efforts to improve teen driver safety, Safe Roads Alliance is celebrating 10 years of helping parents and guardians with The Parent’s Supervised Driving Program, a multi-media resource guide to help parents complete the state-mandated 50-hour parent-supervised driving requirement for permitted teens.
This program, developed in partnership with the Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV), is vital in helping to shape novice teens to become safe, responsible drivers when they begin to drive independently.
“Every time a motorist of any age gets behind the wheel, they are not only responsible for their life, but the lives of their fellow motorists, pedestrians, bicyclists – anyone who they share the road with,” said Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles Director Jana Simpler. “We want our teens to enjoy all the freedoms that accompany getting their driver license, but it’s a responsibility like no other. The program gives parents and guardians the tools they need to teach our teens to be safe, alert, and accountable drivers,” Simpler stated.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), crashes are still a leading cause of teen deaths. To help curb this statistic, DMV urges parents to become familiar with the restrictions placed on their teen’s learner’s permit under 21 Delaware Code §2710 and encourages parents to be more involved as their teen learns to drive. Also important is establishing ground rules for teens by restricting night driving and passengers, always requiring seat belt use, and prohibiting any use of cell phones or other electronic devices while driving.
“Parents play a critical role in teen driver safety and communicating important driving safety information,” said Emily Stein, President of Safe Roads Alliance, co-publisher of The Parent’s Supervised Driving Program. “New teen drivers are still gaining experience behind the wheel, which increases the chance of dangerous situations for the teen and other roadway users around them. This is why it’s important for parents to have these discussions with their teens. Start the conversation today and continue it every day.”
The Parent’s Supervised Driving Program was first introduced at licensing centers across Delaware in 2013. When teens receive their temporary instruction permit (learner’s permit), parents and guardians receive an expert-guided, quality curriculum with a simple, easy-to-follow plan designed to help parents teach teens safe driving habits. The program is provided at no cost to the state thanks to the support of key sponsors, Nemours Children’s Health, and the Delaware Army National Guard, with additional tips on vision care provided by Zenni Optical.
“We know that transportation is a critical social determinant of health because reliable transportation improves access to educational, enrichment and employment opportunities for teens and their families. Transportation can also lead to health through improved access to healthcare, pharmacies, grocery stores, and other critical services,” said Kara Odom Walker, MD, MPH, MSHS, Executive Vice President, Chief Population Health Officer, Nemours Children’s Health. “The ability for teens to operate vehicles safely is vital for their families and their entire community. Nemours Children’s is proud to support this important initiative.”
The program also includes the popular RoadReady® mobile app which is available for iPhones on the App StoreSM and for Android on Google Play. The RoadReady app logs and manages the 50 hours of state-required supervised driving hours. It’s an easy, educational, and convenient way to log the supervised driving time with the click of a button. Nationally, the app is downloaded more than 1,400 times per day.
Safe Roads Alliance and The Parent’s Supervised Driving Program encourage parents and teens to practice driving in a variety of weather conditions and unfamiliar settings to help teens develop the skills and judgment needed to be safer drivers and become part of the solution in the state’s goal of zero highway-related deaths. The program is also available online, via digital curriculum as well as a PDF download, at PSDPonline.com, as well as the DMV’s Delaware Teen Driving webpage.
About The Parent’s Supervised Driving Program
Developed by Safe Roads Alliance, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting safer driving through education, The Parent’s Supervised Driving Program is designed to improve teen driver safety by providing parents, guardians, and coaches with a methodical approach to teaching the requisite driving skills. Safe Roads Alliance worked with DMV staff nationwide and key industry groups: National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA); Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA); Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA); highway safety researchers, academics, behavioral scientists and educators; and, of course, parents and teens to develop a universal, “best-practices” curriculum that guides parents through the supervised driving process. Custom curriculums are available for all 50 states. The program is produced by J.F. Griffin Publishing, and the multi-platform program is 100% sponsor supported.
