Two recent studies point again to what parenting pros consistently claim…parents think their kids aren’t listening but we actually have more influence than we might imagine. This week it has to do with teen drivers, a subject near and dear to any suburbanite’s heart. Like it or not, suburbia is land of the cars. Our roads are built far wider than traditional town streets and we have evil things called collector roads, those big main arteries connecting all the little cul-de-sac neighborhoods. This adds up to dangerous intersections and wide, speed-promoting roadways. It’s brutal out there. Teens (and adults) may have trouble slowing down once they get off the collector road. Furthermore, coming off the freeway at 70 mph, they may even be going too fast to read those polite but small neighborhood signs that say “Relax, Slow Down, You’re Home.” Back to the studies on teen driving, though.The studies were published in the journal Pediatrics.

The main point: Parents who set rules and boundaries, and follow through on said rules, have kids who tend to drive safer. Teens who say their parents are actively involved:

• cut their risk of drinking and driving by 70%,
• are half as likely to speed
• are 30% less likely to use a cellphone while driving.

Also, kids who have to borrow a family car instead of having access to their own car are half as likely to get into a crash. Of course, the message with the newest studies is that parents have the most impact. But police officers can also help. In California, the CHP now offers the Start Smart program, a free workshop families take together to learn more about safe driving practices. Out here, call Officer Terry Uhrich at (805) 553-0800 for more info. If you’re not here, try your local police department. The Auto Club also offers a bunch of teen safety tips and a downloadable model contract that you can force your kid to sign before relinquishing the keys. It’s all worth a try!