A parent-teen driving agreement is a written list of the rules a new driver agrees to follow, and what happens if they don't. Safety groups recommend one because crash risk for new drivers is highest in the first months of driving alone, and the biggest risks, phones, passengers, night driving and speed, are exactly the things parents can set rules about.
Below is an agreement you can print from this page (use your browser's Print button) and fill in together. Change anything that doesn't fit your family, and check your state's graduated license rules, which may already set some limits by law.
The agreement
The driver agrees to
- Wear a seat belt on every trip, and make sure every passenger does too.
- Not touch a phone while the car is moving. Navigation is set before leaving; calls and texts wait.
- Follow the speed limit, and drive slower in rain, fog and heavy traffic.
- Carry no more than ____ passengers under 21 for the first ____ months.
- Be home by ____ pm on school nights and ____ pm on weekends.
- Never drive after drinking any alcohol or using drugs, and never ride with a driver who has.
- Call for a ride, no questions asked that night, if the plan falls apart.
- Tell the parent about any ticket, crash or near-miss within 24 hours.
The parent agrees to
- Pick up the driver at any hour, no lecture that night, if they call for a safe ride.
- Model the same rules: no phone while driving, seat belt every time.
- Ride along for ____ practice hours of night, rain and highway driving.
- Review this agreement every ____ months and loosen limits as trust grows.
If the rules are broken
| Broken rule | Consequence |
|---|---|
| Phone use while driving | ________________ |
| Curfew | ________________ |
| Passengers | ________________ |
| Speeding ticket | ________________ |
Signed (driver) ________________ Signed (parent) ________________ Date ________
Making it work
Agreements work best when the new driver helps write the consequences, and when privileges are earned back, not only taken away. Start strict, and give a clear path: for example, three months with no violations adds one passenger or thirty minutes to the curfew.
Practice the hard part: seeing trouble early
New drivers see hazards later than experienced ones. Hazard Watch trains that skill: the car drives itself, and you tap as soon as you see trouble developing.
Practice spotting hazards in Hazard WatchStart ›The rules behind the agreement, including no texting, zero tolerance under 21 and seat belts, are on our rules of the road page.
