Young drivers need practice

Parents of teens learning to drive can and should do more than grip the door handle or push their foot onto that imaginary brake pedal on the floor.

They could use some driving tips, too.

"I am a good driver, but it's much different to try to teach someone to drive, especially when it is your child," said Jayne Ubl of Champlin.

She and Kelly Cusick of Woodbury have produced a DVD with both the parent and teen in mind. "Roadworthy: A Parent's Guide to Teaching Teens to Drive" features Mike Pehl, founder of Teens Inc., a Shoreview driving school.

The video covers basics from adjusting rearview mirrors to mastering freeway exit ramps, making turns, driving on two-lane roads and directions. Pehl said he's amazed by the number of teens who don't know street names and major intersections in their community. Once teens get their driving permits, they should get off the couch and drive as much as possible, he said.

Hours on the road

Minnesota stipulates that teens, before age 18, must complete six hours of instruction with a licensed driving teacher in addition to logging 30 hours of supervised driving time with their parents during a six-month period before taking the license test.

"They practice football, soccer or their band instruments every day. When they start driving, they are going to do it every day of their life, so the more experience they can get, the better," he said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have found that, for every mile driven, teens ages 16-19 are four times more likely to be involved in an accident than older drivers.

"Kids need to make mistakes with their parents in the car because once they have that license, the parents' eyes are off them," Pehl said.

Slick road, dry road

Cusick, whose son Patrick is featured in the video, was committed to driving with him in different weather conditions and at different times of the day.

Many teens are hyper-focused on taking the test on their 16th birthday, but Pehl is anything but enthusiastic about that rite of passage. When he was teaching his own kids to drive, Pehl had a rule: If they could go for 30 days without him pointing out an error in their driving, they were ready to take the test. If not, they had to start over for another 30 days until they could drive without correction.

Parents need to acknowledge the importance of experience.

"There is not a parent out there who isn't stressed out about a kid learning to drive," said Pehl. "However, you need to be confident that your teen is really ready to take a two-ton missile out on the road without you."