by Arthur Gibson

Created on: January 22, 2009

Letting your teen drive is a privilege that needs to be earned. Just because your son or daughter has reached the legal age to obtain a driver's license does not mean they have the right to drive. Anytime you give your child the keys to the family car you are saying they are responsible for their actions on the street. While many teenagers are ready for this expanded degree of responsibility, others are not. How many times have you been in the car when your child was driving? Have they shown you that their are capable of making the decisions necessary to be a safe driver? How can you come with the answers to these and the other questions that are in each parent's mind when deciding whether their child should be allowed to go someplace in the car alone?

You should know your child better than anyone else. If you have any doubts about their sense of responsibility and their ability to drive safely don't give them the keys. Don't just take it for granted that because they have reached a certain age that they are ready for the increased responsibility. Think about how they've handled responsibility in the past. Have they shown you that you can trust them with lesser responsibilities? Have they shown you in the past that they are dependable and not easily influenced by others? Remember at some point once they start driving on their own, another young person is going to be in the car with them. And that child is going to be someone else's precious son or daughter. And our child is going to be responsible for their safety.

Remember young people think they are invincible and that nothing will happen to them. All of that can change in an instant once they get behind the wheel of a car. They need to understand that driving requires them to be alert and pay attention to what is going on around them on the road. Too many young people are killed each year in accidents that could have been avoided, and in many cases the teen wasn't the driver at fault. How many people are killed on the highways each year in accidents caused by drunk drivers or drivers under the influence of drugs, both legal and illegal? And how many of those are young people who have been driving for one or two years?

Remember privileges have to be earned. Don't let your child intimidate you into giving them the keys just because they have a license. As a suggestion, before you let them have the car for an extended period, have them run you to the store or other quick trips in the neighborhood. This should give you a sense of their capability and give you some peace of mind. Hopefully, as they've gotten closer to the age of getting their first license they've been accepting additional responsibilities. Every teen wants to drive and as parents we look forward to no longer having to run them everywhere they go. But, as parents we have to make the hard decisions, and that may mean not allowing them to drive for a while even when they're old enough. As parents we owe it ourselves, our children, and the others on the roads to make sure they understand the responsibility that comes with driving a car. Help your child understand that driving a car is a responsibility that must be earned, it's not a right.

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