Discuss with your teen and agree to a reasonable time for them to return with the family vehicle. In the Provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, the GDL Program is a lifesaver along with being an asleep saver for all involved. Your son/daughter must be home by 12:00 am thus avoiding the request “ can I stay out later” and you getting your much-needed sleep by not having to wait up worrying about them.

• You should know where they are going and where they expect to be at different times.

• Who they are with along with keeping an agreed limit to the number of persons in the vehicle, the chance of a collision increases with the number of occupants in a vehicle. The more people the more distractions thus causing inattention which is the number one cause of motor vehicle accidents. Cell phone use/texting which leads to distracted driving is attributed to over 30 percent of motor vehicle collisions.

• Allow your teens to drive when you accompany them, that way you can monitor their driving habits making suggestions as to any bad habits they may develop.

• Your son/daughter may have passed their driving test and obtained their license but also keep in mind that the driving task is a never-ending learning experience and they are just beginning these experiences.

• Consideration should be given to the idea of increasing their driving freedom as their experience level increases. For example; winter driving on any snow-covered road may be an absolute no-no during the first year of driving. Increasing your child’s privileges with the family vehicle upon seeing satisfactory safe driving practices and at the same time giving consideration of reducing driving freedom for unsafe practices.

• Remember, the use of the vehicle is in your control, your son/daughter has a HUGE responsibility while driving and his or her level of responsibility must be taken into account.