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Dear Parents of Teen Drivers:
In June of 2009 my oldest son turned 16. My son is an honor student taking advanced high school courses with the goal of going to college on a football scholarship. He’s a trustworthy, goal oriented student whom I’m very proud of.
I tell you these things not to brag (well maybe just a little) but to share my family’s experience in handing the car keys over to my son. My wife and I were thrilled with the thought of having another driver in the home who could help get our family of six to all the sporting events, activities and meetings that today’s families get involved in.
On the flip side, I came to the realization that my son will now be out on the road on his own, making decisions that will affect his life and the livelihood of those around him. I thought of the maturation process I went through in learning to drive responsibly and how I often made some very poor decisions that endangered my life and those around me. I was a hard working, trust worthy, good student in high school with goals of playing college football. I didn’t drink in high school because that would interfere with my goals, yet when it came to driving I did some really stupid things behind the wheel of my car. I lacked maturity in my decision making and did not fully grasp my mortality or the mortality of those around me.
That is why I am such a fan of the Ride Along GPS.
We highly recommend that the Ride Along GPS be used as a communication tool with your teen driver rather than a covert spying tool on your teen.
We find that the best approach is the honest approach. We suggest communicating with your teen that this is an intermediary step to full independence behind the wheel of a car. In some cases the device may be used for a time to restore broken trust between parent and teen. There is no denying that the device provides an environment of accountability between teen and parent, however the ultimate reason and goal for the device is your teen’s safety and well being.
As a parent, think back to the things you used to do as a young driver and share these experiences with your kids. I remember countless times of seeing how fast my old 77 Dodge pickup could go down our old country road. Out of curiosity more than anything else I would go racing down that big hill we lived on with no shoulder at speeds of over 100 mph. I would have thought long and hard about doing this if I knew my parents would get an alert telling them I was exceeding their pre-set speed limit and a report showing them I was driving 100 + MPH. Thank goodness nothing ever happened to me, I was lucky.
I was able to share with my son the dumb things I used to do as a young driver and I can’t even explain why I did them. I was able to share with him that this device is in place so he and I can work together as he grows into an experienced, mature, responsible driver.
With new found independence even the most compliant, trustworthy teen will at some point want to push the limits of his/her abilities and the applicable laws governing the car they drive. It’s important for your teen to know that you love them and want them to think twice before doing something in their car that they will regret for the rest of their lives.
Sincerely,
Craig Kupp
President, Kupp Management Services, LLC
Ride Along GPS
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