Parenting Teens

I have one teenager who’s THIS close to getting his license, and another that’s already nagging for her learner’s permit, despite the fact I made her brother wait longer than his friends before getting his. So clearly, driving is a regular topic of conversation around these parts. And it’s terrifying. I mean, I’ve ridden in the passenger seat with my son behind the wheel for the past year, and it’s TERRIFYING. I’m a little bit of a control freak (stop laughing) and it’s hard for me to give that tendency up and make sure the Boy is relaxed and paying attention and doing what he needs to do: learning.

But we’ve survived so far - in a beat up old 95 jeep, that he was sweet enough to buy from me yesterday so that I could get a 93 jeep that’s in much better condition to haul his siblings around. Yes, I sold my son the crappy car that he’ll tear up anyway, to get myself a better one. Sue me. Point is, he’s ready and raring to go - the minute the roads are clear, he’s road test and independent driving bound…

Heaven help us all.

Or maybe, just Ford. Have you heard about MyKey? It’s a pretty nifty little device that Ford’s about to launch in the newest 2010 Ford Focus and other models. What it does is allow the parent to set some limits on their teen driver. It warns them when they’re low on fuel, when they’ve forgotten their seatbelt. It also can be programed to have a “top speed” that your teen can drive, with warning chimes at certain levels. It can even limit the volume of the radio.

Check it out:

If you have more questions, Ford will be having a question and answer forum Tuesday, Feb 24th, at noon EST. You can join in and ask your questions here: Talk to the Experts.

Would I actually use something like this with my kids? I’m not sure. I’m on the fence on it - but since I’m not in the position of getting him a brand new car anyway, I can postpone such a decision. Whether you choose to use MyKey for your kids or not, as with every subject here, I encourage you to TALK to your kids first. They won’t rail against the limitations as much if they know they’re there, why they are there, and understand where your coming from with the installation. Sure, they might not like it, and I expect that some smarty pants kid hacker will find a way around it sooner rather then later, but still. Talk to your kids.

Then tell them to turn that noise down, already! Srsly! Kids these days. They call THAT music? Why, back in my day…

Back in the day, ya know, when I was a teenager, struggling to walk too and from school in 29 foot high snowdrifts, uphill BOTH ways, barefoot with only a scrap of fabric for a coat and newspaper for socks, and mittens spun from the fluffy shed fur of the neighbors cat… and don’t forget being sick as a dog and possibly bleeding to death because hello, only ACTUAL UNCONSCIOUSNESS was good enough to let you stay home - back in the day we NEVER missed school! EVER.

(That sound you hear? My mother’s snort, coupled with rolling eyes, that I can practically see, since she drove me to and from school every single day until I got my own car and drove myself the whole 2 blocks to the high school.)

Since we live in Alaska, though, you know the roads HAVE to be bad if we shut down. After all, we’re not places like oh, Seattle, or other places that shut down when there’s like TWO INCHES of snow. In fact we SCOFF at your two inches, and wave about our snow-angles in multiple FEET of snow, as we brush off the cars, put them in 4 wheel drive, and go on about our days.

This morning, I got a text from my son, who I’d let stay with his friends last night, knowing they’d be driving into school this morning from beyond the bus routes. One of said friends’ mom is a bus driver, and the busses are running on a 2 hour delay this morning because of road conditions.

You see, after our Deep Freeze? We’re now sweltering in 36F degree weather! Things are suddenly MELTING! (Like the ice in the hoses to my washer - YAY LAUNDRY!) There’s the dulcet sounds of water dripping from the roof, and a thin sheet of ice coats the packed snow, and Mario Bros. sounds from the bedroom as the youngest awaits her fate. With a 2 hour bus delay, do I let her stay home, or make her go…

After the first text message from my son, I drug my weary behind out from bed to load up the local radio station online so I could hear for myself. Seems the buses may be running 2 hours behind, but the SCHOOLS THEMSELVES are starting ON TIME, for those children who’s parents take them in, or they walk, or drive themselves.

Interesting. So I passed this little nugget of information on to my son, and since his two possible rides were stuck out there with parents not letting them drive, he’s pretty much SOL - snow/ice day home for him! He made off lucky, and I made sure he knew that I “was not happy!” about it. Truth be told, I didn’t mind so much. With roads that bad, I’d rather the boys not risk it. But shhhh. Don’t tell him that!

Then the text alert on my daughters phone started going off. And off. And off. And off. The messages were flying fast and furious - who was delayed, who had to go to school, who’s parents were driving, who had convinced their parents to let them stay home… Before I knew it, I had Peppermist (the child previously known as ‘the girl’) out here with a wailing cry.. “but MOOOO-OOO-OOOM, I’d be all ALONE”

(That sound was MY snort, coupled with MY eyes rolling. Inorite? I am my mother’s daughter..)

You see, in the time it took for my daughter to get up, pee, and walk to the living room, she already knew that 5 of her 6 friends were staying home, and the last text message arrived confirming the 6th was as well the minute she sat on the couch. Yeah. THAT fast.

A couple calls were made - there were other kids I was supposed to pick up this morning as my dad was supposed to head out of town, though he didn’t go anywhere either because of the roads and was waiting for me to appear to steal his car so he could laugh at me. Gee thanks, dad! Finally, we Mom’s and Nana’s just collectively tossed up our hands. Screw it. The kids could stay home. All of them.

Once again the text messages FLEW, just before the snoring started up again.

All of this brought to mind something my Dad always said when we were young - the 3 fastest forms of communication are: Telephone, Telegraph, and Tell-a-Woman. After this morning, I think I can safely amend that to “Telephone, Telegraph, and Text-a-Teen.”

…and I’m presuming you were kids, teenagers, etc. since we didn’t actually catch you IN the act - we do know that you’re short, as you managed to pull the seat way forward. Heh. And since we’re unsure just which batch of neighborhood teenagers that you belong too (other then not MY group, because they OH SO WOULDN’T because they know better - but we’d be having serious words right now instead of writing to YOU if they did….) I thought I’d write an open letter to you, and all the other joyriders of the world.

First things first. Thank you for bringing the car back - or most of the way back.

Weren’t expecting that, were ya? Sure, the cops had been out looking for a couple hours, and you probably were the ones that got stuck in the ditch down the way where my sister saw fresh dig out marks, but at least you DID bring it most of the way back. With a dead battery since you left the lights on, and empty tank (I know, it only had 1/4 tank in it anyway. Sorry bout that.) So as it’s my only form of transportation, I do want to thank you for being considerate enough to take it back.

However, this does not forgive or forget the fact that you were assholes enough to steal it out of my driveway to begin with. I mean, SRSLY guys! From my DRIVEWAY? Sure, my dog who barks at everything, didn’t bark. And I’ve left my keys IN my car for the past 12 years. And you couldn’t have known I’d need to go pick up my girls a couple hours after the last time I came home. And you really couldn’t have realized that I would call the cops - after all, my late husband would never have called them, as he figured being a card carrying NRA member and lover of all things sharp and pointy, he could solve most things on his own.

But I am not he, and he is no longer with us.

Its just… mind-boggling. MY car? It’s a ‘95 for heavens sake, an completely falling apart at the seams! The CV joint is going out (that would be the thumping you heard on the right front tire..), the heater is an external button attached to the dash with a zip tie with two settings - on and off (also known as HOT AS HELL and OMGFRIGID!). The front seat has a broken bolt and probably would fly out of the car in an accident, the ignition switch is going out… so on and so forth. Of ALL the cars on this street, you pick MINE? SRSLY?

Seriously, guys (or gals) did you really think this thing through? Is this the first time you’ve done this? I mean, parts of my keychain went missing just a couple days ago, and now that I think about it, I HAVE been going through more gas then usual.. not that I’m accusing you (ok, I am), just sayin’.

And then there’s this. Everyone in the neighborhood knows that I’ve a group of teenagers living here off an on. Everyone knows that I’m the ‘Cool Mom’ and that I would give you the shirt off my back, twice, if you needed it. Everyone knows that I’d take you for a ride if you needed to go somewhere, and if you’re one of mine or their friends, if you needed a car that badly, I would have HANDED YOU THE KEYS. All you would have had to do is ask. Instead, what you did was disrespectful, and seriously uncool.

I think you were compelled to bring it back for one of two reasons - you thought you wouldn’t get caught as maybe you’ve done it before or your simply that stupid, OR it was simply my good karma trampling all over yours - which means I’d watch my back if I were you.. because somethings gonna bite you. Soon. Either way, the car is here now, and the keys are in my possession.

I regret that now I’m going to have to start locking things up, and I feel there’s a bit of innocence lost in that. I don’t care for it much, and I don’t appreciate you stealing my Small Town Feeling away from me like you have. Next time, guys. Just ask. If you need something, just ASK.

Sincerely,
The Cool Mom.

PS. You left your flashlight in the front seat of the car with the keys when you bailed. Officer Jay would be happy to return it to you if you just call the Police Station.

PPS. My son is his Daddy’s boy, through and through. Just sayin’.

This is TOO cool! You know, our high school here in small town Alaska doesn’t have a driver’s ed program, though there is someone around here who does the job. For a fee, of course. I never could afford it, and my Daddy taught me to drive, as well as half the kids I grew up with, so I knew he could help me teach mine.

I still worry, of course - we all do - and now Teen LIVE Drive is here to help! What is it? It’s a website, with downloadable driving lessons. Sure, it’s not the same as getting behind the car, but it gives a driver’s eye view of things to look out for and things to keep in mind. It’s a GREAT asset to the parent struggling with control issues and letting their baby get behind the wheel, and every little bit of education helps. The price for downloading is reasonable, and even better for those of us in tiny towns - it handles issues like merging onto a highway, downtown traffic, cities in the rain, cross town driving - things we don’t have to deal with on a regular basis.

From hilly and windy roads, to distractions and the two-second rule, double yellow lines and two lane roads they cover it all. If you’ve a teenanger about to drive, or even driving already, I encourage you to take a look at Teen LIVE Drive, and show it to your teenager too. Every little bit of preventative learning helps, right?

PS. Thanks to Paul for showing me the site!

…and by fun, I mean TERRIFYING BEYOND ALL BELIEF! I promised to talk about the driving. Yes. The DRIVING. The bane of every parents existence.

I admit, my son got a later start then most, because I simply wasn’t ready. I know I talk a big game about not punishing my kids for my own fears, but sometimes you just can’t help it. Thing was, my husband had looked forward to this part of his son’s education, wanting to much to teach him how to drive. Having a teenage son that he loved with all his heart, and got along with, was his biggest dream, as he did not have that with his own parents. He passed away when the boy was 13, and every time we discussed some of the big milestones that Kevin had looked forward too, it broke my heart a little bit.

Thus, when his friends were getting their permits at 14, The Boy waited. When he hit 15, he waited some more, only mentioning it once or twice. I always had the excuse that he hadn’t studied the book, despite the fact he said he was ready. Finally, just before his 16th birthday, I gave in. I was positive he’d fail the test the first time.

He passed.
Dammit.

So, for the past six months, it’s been all about driving. Back and forth to work, one terrifying trip to The Sister City Of Actual Traffic, random excursions here and there. He’s done pretty well, all told, and I’ve only narrowly missed a having a heart attack about 125301237123 times. (And then there were the bruises - not that I’d ever punch my kid in the leg to give him a charlie horse for scaring the shit out of me or anything. Because that would be wrong.) The ‘oh shit!’ bar has certainly gotten it’s workout, that’s all I’m trying to say.

Now it’s September, and in just 2 weeks, he’ll be eligible for his provisional driver’s license. I know. I’m scared too. He’s practically giddy with the thought, and has been getting ‘his’ car up and running and ready. His car would be his daddy’s 74 VW Super Beetle, which means it’s a standard, and we hadn’t worked on that yet, as he wanted to practice and learn on another vehicle, and save his own transmission. Hah.

He got the bug running, and I finally broke down and took him out last weekend. I took him to the same school parking lot where I learned and showed off a bit because I could drive it and he couldn’t. (We just won’t talk about the hysterical-ness that was my fat ass shoved into that tiny car..)

Then it was his turn, and oh! The laughter! There was frustration too, but watching him try to get his big ole feet working those tiny pedals just right, learn to feel the catch in the clutch, couple that with the press of the gas, and hey! remember to steer too! - it was the most fun we’d had together in oh, at LEAST a week.

He’d pop the clutch and slam my head back into the seat, where my hair clip would dig into my head and make me swat at him. He’d stall and shake the steering wheel and cuss, as I would chuckle, and go through the steps again. He’d get it, crow in delight - and forget to slow down before rounding the end of the parking lot, and we’d all be leaning against one side of the little car - hoping it wouldn’t just topple over. He finally made a few passes that were satisfactory, and then I took it for a little spin around the neighborhood before heading home.

His friend, Z, also came over and took the bug for a spin and gave the boy a few more lessons, too. That’s them in the picture, headed to the school for more lessons. As I watched them go, and tried to get pictures without the boys completely diving out of site, I had the curious sensation of my heart sinking and flying all at once. My boys were off into the world (…down the block…) without me, striking out on their own without my presence right there to make sure things went well. Sure, he’s been riding around with his friends for months, but this was different. This time, I knew that in just a couple of weeks I could no longer stop time, I couldn’t hold him back. Soon, it would my son at the wheel, taking his life and his destiny in his own hands.

I’m terrified, yet exhilarated for him at the same time. I can only hope that I’ve taught him well, that he’ll remember, that he’ll do the same things he’d do as if I were right there, hiding in his glovebox. I hope that he behaves as well as I did when my parents set me free to drive on my own.

Damn. Now I’m REALLY glad that there isn’t a back seat in that bug.
(Just kidding, mom!)

In California, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has just signed a new law forbidding minors to use electronic devices while driving. This includes pagers, PDA’s, laptop computers and-yes-cell phones. Here is the gist of Senate Bill 33:

Beginning July 1, anyone under age 18 will be prohibited from using a cell phone, laptop, PDA, pager or two-way messaging device while driving in California. Traffic officers, however, will not be allowed to pull over drivers simply because of a cell phone infraction

The fine for a first offense will be $20 and, for each additional offense, $50. Similar laws are in effect in 15 other states: Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia, as well as Washington, D.C.

Here are some statistics from a Seventeen Magazine survey of 16-and 17-year-old drivers:

61%

Number of teens who admit to risky driving habits
46%

Share of the risky drivers who say they text message when driving
51%

Share of the risky drivers who say they talk on cell phones while driving
40%

Number of teens who exceed the speed limit by 10 mph or more while driving

Do you have teens who drive? How do you feel about these laws?

Personally, I’m all for them. My daughter just turned 17,and I’m all for anything that gets her home safely. She’s a good, careful driver, but if she got on a cellphone with one of her friends while driving, I know she would be distracted. Our rule is that she has to pull over and park to use her cell phone, and that she’s only allowed to do that in an emergency.

Electronics have made communication much better and easier, but they can be yet another headache for parents of teenagers!

[teens, teenagers, cell phones, teen drivers, teenage drivers, adolescents, cell phones and driving, Arnold Schwarzenegger, parenting, parenting teens, parenting teenagers[/tags]

We are now in the process of beginning an active search for a car for my 16-year-old daughter. We’d prefer to have something new but, since our budget won’t allow that, we’ll be going the used route. We’re lucky to be able to get some pretty good opinions. My father was an auto mechanic up until his retirement, and my younger brother does auto body work, as does my nephew. So we have some good resources.

We’ve started searching the newspaper and online, and we’ll be visiting some used car dealerships this weekend. However, this is causing some minor conflict within the family. My daughter would prefer something that looks like the picture at the top of this post. Her father and I would prefer something that looks like a Sherman tank!

It’s difficult to accept that your child will soon be driving without you in the car beside her. You’re no longer with her to give information if she has a question. You’re no longer there in case she gets in a minor fender-bender and is scared. You’re no longer there to nag at her that she’s getting a little too close to the center line or to the mailboxes on the right side of the road!

She, of course, is thrilled at the idea of driving herself to school every day. She’s even more thrilled that she’ll be able to drive herself to the movies or the mall, or out to eat with friends, without mom or dad dropping her off and picking her up.

And, naturally, we’re worried. Worried that she’ll go to the mall or to the movies, and we’ll end up getting a call about an accident. Or that the car will break down on some deserted, lonely road. Or she won’t get home on time, and we won’t be able to reach her on her cell phone, and that she’ll end up missing because someone snatched her at the mall. Or she’ll be late coming home from school and we’ll find out that aliens have kidnapped her. You know, all the normal things parents with teen drivers worry about!

My daughter has proven herself to be a safe, careful driver. She’s also responsible about calling home when she needs to, and about staying with friends and not being off anywhere alone. I know all this.

But it’s about time to give her what I consider to be a huge step toward independence, and I’m worried. In fact, I’m downright scared at times! It’s another one of those times when you now know what your own parents went through!

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Tracey over at Paris Hilton Watch is doing a great job keeping up with all Hilton’s latest antics. As a parent, however, I felt a strong urge to say something after hearing about Paris’ latest woes.

Hilton was recently sentenced to 45 days in jail after being caught driving on a suspended license, for the second time. Apparently, upon hearing that she would be required to spend all of about 23 actual days in jail (taking into account time off for good behavior, which I wouldn’t bet on with Paris Hilton), and spending it in a “special needs facility” separated from the general inmate population, poor Paris had a nervous breakdown! She immediately started a petition asking for a pardon from Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (who reportedly said that he had not seen a petition, but that he had more important things to do, anyway)!

The most upsetting thing to me about all this is that there are still teen and preteen girls out there who still see Paris Hilton as a role model, and haven’t figured out that (even though she’s 26 now), most teens and preteens are more mature than Paris!

Apparently, this childish woman has NEVER learned that her actions have consequences, that she is not above the law, and that she must be responsible for herself. Parents, please, teach your children right from wrong. Teach them that they must pay for their mistakes.

Make them think that they are special, yes-but not so special that they can get away with things for which everyone else must take responsibility. Don’t let them reach the age of 26 thinking that money, fame, or anything else puts them above the law. The last thing we need is any more Paris Hiltons out there!

Paris Hilton, parents, parenting, Arnold Schwarzenegger, teens, teenagers, parenting teens, parenting teenagers

Yesterday was my father’s 78th birthday. While my brother and sister were both there for it, I won’t get to see my dad for another couple of weeks. So I decided to make today’s post about my dad. In keeping with the fact that this blog is about parenting teens, I’m going to talk about some memories of my dad from my teen years.

When I was 15, my dad took me to get my learner’s permit. It took the patience of a saint to teach me to drive. My dad didn’t have the patience of a saint! (How many of us do?) However, he did have the experience of having taught my older sister to drive just six years earlier. I remember all those times when I know he wanted to swear at me. And I can remember a few times when he actually did! Despite the rough spots, learning to drive from my dad is a pleasant memory. At the time I was learning, he owned a 1972 Plymouth Satellite. If you want any more information on that check out William’s blog over at Automotive Blogger. He does some great stuff on cars! I’d love to have some of you comment about what kind of car you learned to drive in, and your memories of learning to drive.

Once I learned how to drive, however, I had it made. My father was an auto mechanic for most of his working life. My father not only helped me pick out my first car (which was a 1974 Chevrolet Vega GT, yes, one of those rustbuckets!), he was always on hand to change my oil and fix the car when anything happened. Some of my fondest memories are of helping my father fix the car. He got to pass along some of his expertise and I actually learned a few mechanical things!

My dad and I have both always had strong political opinions. When I was a teenager, I began to be a lot less shy about voicing my opinions. My dad and I usually disagreed. I can remember some very interesting debates that stopped just short of shouting matches about immigration, the Vietnam War and lots of other things. Some of those debates were started by the TV show “All In The Family” which we always watched together. If you’ve ever watched it, you know that it often had politics involved.

I think my fondest recollection of my dad from my teen years involves “Star Wars”. When I became a teenager, I discovered horror and science fiction books and movies, and I’ve been into both of them ever since. My dad never understood the attraction. But he did take me to see “Star Wars” when it was released in 1977. I was a few months shy of my sixteenth birthday and I took a friend with me (she really didn’t see the attraction either). To save you working the math, that makes me 45 years old! My dad sat through it, since the movie theater was about a thirty-minute drive from home and he really didn’t want to drive home and then come back. His pronouncement after sitting through the movie which is MY favorite movie of all time? “I don’t know why anyone would want to sit and watch a movie full of tin cans!” (Referring to the ships and the droids!). I found this hilarious then, and I still find it hilarious today!

I’ll stop here, because I have so many recollections of my dad from my teen years that I could write a book. Fathers are so important to all kids, including teenagers. I can’t imagine those years without my dad, and I’m happy to say that we have an even closer relationship now, despite the fact that there’s more physical distance between us. I’d love to hear from some of you about memories of your fathers, especially from your teen years!

If you want more on fatherhood, visit Dave at All About Fatherhood.

fathers, dads, fatherhood, Star Wars, All In The Family, teens, teenagers, parents, parenting

As the parent of a teenager, do you attend meetings of your local school board? I don’t attend as many as I would like, but I do try to attend meetings when an issue about which I have strong opinions is discussed. The upcoming meeting of our local school board is one such meeting.

Our local school board will be discussing reinstating driver’s education, which hasn’t been offered in our local schools since 2004, due to budget cuts and the cost of offering the course. I live in Georgia, where the school systems do not receive state funding to pay for driver’s education courses. This makes absolutely no sense because in 2005, state legislators passedJoshua’s Law, which requires 16-year-olds to take a state-approved driver’s education course and complete 40 hours of supervised driving to get a license.

Joshua’s Law is named for Joshua Brown, a 17-year-old Georgia boy who died in 2003, shortly after graduating from high school. On a rain-slicked road, his truck hydroplaned and crashed into a tree. He had not taken driver’s education. His parents, Alan and LuGina Brown, dealt with their grief by forming the Joshua Brown Foundation.

The non-profit organization’s mission is “to establish networks between public, private, and government partners to make technologically advanced driver’s education available for every teen.” Joshua’s father, Alan Brown, will be speaking at our school board meeting to explain how affordable driver’s education can be. This is one of those important meetings that I feel I can’t afford to miss. Before long, my daughter will be out on the roads driving alone. I want her to have every advantage she can possible have on dangerous roads where teens lose their lives every day.

If your school system does not offer driver’s education, or if you feel their current program could be improved, I urge you to visit the website of the Joshua Brown Foundation.They explain the options of using computers and driving simulators in driver education courses-options which could save teen lives on the road.

In addition, they have information on car selection and maintenance, driving skills, and insurance and responsibility. It’s a great site for teen drivers and parents of teen drivers. The driving skills of our teenagers is an issue that affects every one of us. Make sure that you get involved in this important issue at the local and state levels. Let your voice be heard!

teens, teenagers, teen drivers, teenager drivers, Joshua Brown, Alan Brown, Joshua’s Law, Joshua Brown Foundation

I haven’t published articles by others very often, but here’s something I felt was very worthwhile. It’s a great sample contract for teen drivers and their parents. If anyone out there says they aren’t in the least nervous about their teen beginning to drive, my hat’s off to them. My own daughter has her learner’s permit and will be driving on her own before too long. She’s doing great so far, but I’m still very worried about her driving alone.

This contract is great to use as-is, or simply use it for a guideline and change it any way you want to fit the needs of yourself and your teenage driver. Let’s keep our teens (and everyone else) safe on the road!

Parent Teen Contract for Teen Drivers
By Glenn Lamb

Parents of new teen drivers are concerned about the safety of their kids with good reason. If you wish to establish some written rules you can make use of the following agreement form. Of course it may need to be modified to fit your concerns…

Agreement: Driving for a student is a privilege, not a right. Education is more important than driving privileges. Parent will suspend or revoke driving privileges if teen gets a grade lower than C for any class. Driving may also be suspended for violation of school rules or breaking any criminal law.

Agreement: Permission for a permit and license is subject to teen agreeing to all of the following items. Suspension or revoking driving privileges can result from violating any of these rules.

1. I will not drink and drive, or use illegal drugs. I will not ride with another driver if I know or suspect they are intoxicated or under the influence of drugs. I will immediately take a drug test if told to do so by a parent. Failing or not taking a requested drug test will result in a revocation of driving privileges.
2. I will not permit any alcohol containers, including empties, in any vehicle I am operating. I will not transport anyone who I know or suspect may be carrying illegal drugs. I understand that the law provides for forfeiture of a vehicle used in trafficking illegal drugs, even if the vehicle is owned by another.
3. At all times I will drive as if my life and my passenger’s lives depend on it. I will obey all traffic law and any curfews or restrictions my license imposes.
4. I agree not to drive with or transport anyone who is possession of a firearm or other weapon unless I get permission from my parent.
5. I will always wear a seat belt and insist on any passengers wearing one.
6. I will keep music at a moderate volume so I will be able to hear emergency sirens or car horns. I will not talk on a cell phone or eat food while driving.
7. I understand that driving dangers increase when the number of teens in a car increases. For this reason I agree to have no more than 2 teen passengers, at any time, in my car during my first year of driving. I will not succumb to peer pressure to drive in an unsafe or reckless manner. When I am driving I am in control. I can stop and tell others to leave my vehicle if they are acting badly and will do so.
8. I will not race any vehicle.
9. I will not loan my vehicle or any family vehicle under any circumstances.
10. I understand that to be on mom’s insurance policy I must keep my driving record clean. If I must go off my parents policy because of tickets or accidents the cost of insurance will be much higher. I will pay these higher costs myself and maintain liability insurance coverage of at least $100,000/$300,000. If I can not afford to do so I will not be able to drive.
11. In order to have my own car I must pay all related expenses. These include gas, maintenance, repairs, licensee plates, state inspections, etc. Also I know that sooner or later the car will need to be replaced at my expense. Because I know this I will start saving now for this.
12. I understand that if my driving privileges are suspended because I break these rules, which I have agreed to, it will be m own fault. Therefore I won’t complain about it or the length of suspension will be increased.
13. If my driving privileges are suspended by my parents or a court and I drive anyway, my parents will sell my car for a low wholesale price. The money will be given to me after I move out.

I have carefully read this agreement, it has been explained to me, I understand and agree.

Signed _______________ Date:_________

This article is by Glenn Lamb mortgage broker and owner of Texas Capital Mortgage - http://Texas-capital-mortgage.com visit my other sites at http://business-insurance-houston.com and http://reverse-mortgage-houston.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Glenn_Lamb
http://EzineArticles.com/?Parent-Teen-Contract-for-Teen-Drivers&id=397209

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