Critical skills teens need before driving solo | PEMCO
Your teen’s biggest worries before taking their driving test (think parallel parking or backing around a corner) aren’t the only skills that matter when it comes to staying safe on the road.
Post-crash studies show that teens who develop strong recognition skills (to anticipate trouble before it happens) and safe decision-making skills (like consistently obeying speed limits and judging distance) are more likely to avoid crashes during their early driving years than teens who focus solely on car-handling skills.
You can think of recognition and decision-making like the rote skills they already may have developed for playing sports or a musical instrument. Solid fundamentals and repetition are key.
PEMCO can help you help your teen become a safe, confident driver. We’re proud to support free resources (including the RoadReady® telematics app) developed by the Safe Roads Alliance in partnership with the Washington State Department of Licensing and Oregon Department of Transportation. More on that below.
How likely are teens to crash in their early years?
Young drivers ages 15 to 20 make up about 5% of drivers but account for 12% of crashes, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Crashes peak after licensing and then decline over the next few years as they gain experience.
Young drivers who combine driver training and graduated licensing have fewer crashes than drivers who skip formal training and wait until age 18 to get their license. State legislatures are taking notice. Beginning in 2027, Washington will require driver training for 18-year-olds with the requirement expanding to drivers up to 21 years old by 2030.
Still, driver training programs can’t substitute for supervised driving and coaching from parents and guardians. Practice makes prevention (almost) perfect!
What kind of errors do teen drivers make?
Researchers at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration analyzed teen driver accidents and found that driver error (not mechanical or environmental causes) factored into more than 95% of crashes. And 79% of the time, it was the teen who made the error.
They grouped errors into three main categories:
1. Recognition errors, not anticipating or detecting a hazard soon enough to avoid an accident, accounted for 46% of teen-involved crashes. That could be things like cars pulling out or changing lanes in front of them, pedestrians stepping off the curb, or even potholes. Distraction played a role, but researchers pointed out that it wasn’t as simple as “not paying attention.” Young drivers, it appeared, hadn’t yet developed skills of effective scanning and, by the time they spotted the problem, it was too late.Researchers from Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) further observed that new drivers tend to stare straight ahead, meaning they may miss what’s going on in an adjacent lane, upcoming intersection, or even an approaching curve. That’s likely why so many teen accidents involve running off the road.
They also noted that teens may not realize that their own thoughts – not just external things like smartphones and playlists – count as distractions. They need to learn to tell their busy brains, “Not now. I’m driving!”
2. Decision errors, choices like allowing adequate time to make a left turn, obeying speed limits, and leaving enough following distance, were a close second at 40% as critical factors in the accidents.
3. Performance errors, loss of control in skillfully handling the car, were surprisingly few, accounting for only about 8% of crashes.
Another surprise (perhaps a relief to worried parents)? Aggressive, impaired, or drowsy driving were less common than other factors in the accidents studied.
How can I help my teen overcome the biggest skill deficits?
Teens need to develop prevention-minded muscle memory behind the wheel with practice, practice, practice. Researchers recommend parents focus on two critical skills new drivers lack – recognition and decision-making.
To boost recognition, help teens lengthen their gaze beyond a few feet in front of the bumper and remember to check side and rearview mirrors. (Here’s how to adjust mirrors for teens.) To naturally stretch your child’s field of vision, coach with anticipatory phrases like, “Let’s make sure that blue car coming up to the intersection is going to stop.”
Use the same kind of narration to help with decision-making for braking and speed control. Instead of simply saying, “slow down,” try something like, “The intersection is coming up, so let’s ease up on the gas now, which will start slowing us down.” The idea is to plan for what comes next, rather than simply react to it.
If your teen loves science, share the real-life physics behind speed limits. While speeding 10 mph over a 30-mph-limit might sound like no big deal, it translates to a 78% increase in collision energy!
And an easier-said-than-done truth for you: Avoid your loving urge to shield your young driver from the tough stuff. Situations that make you tense up should top your coaching list. Examples include:
- Left turns across traffic (accurately judge speed and distance to improve timing)
- Lane changes (check blind spots and remember to signal)
- Merging (match speed and maintain spatial awareness)
- Night driving (adapt to reduced visibility)
- Bicycles and school buses (share the road)
- Adverse weather (maintain traction on slick surfaces)
- Construction zones (slow down, follow signs and flaggers’ instructions)
- Heavy, fast-moving traffic (increase following distance, keep right except to pass).
- Getting lost (fluster-busting strategies, reroute with GPS).
What signs show my teen isn’t yet ready to drive solo?
Let your parental intuition guide you. If you’re harboring nagging doubt about your teen’s readiness to drive safely without you or another experienced “co-pilot” in the passenger seat, you’re probably not wrong.
Delay that first solo drive if you see signs like inconsistent performance (sometimes struggling with basic maneuvers), poor judgment (speeding, trying to “beat the light,” failing to yield), getting distracted (wanting to check the phone, excessive chattiness, letting their mind wander), or trouble regulating emotions (getting easily flustered by criticism or unexpected situations). Even a few extra weeks of practice can help fill gaps and erase deficits before your teen goes solo.
How can PEMCO help my teen become a safer driver?
PEMCO’s commitment to prevention extends to our youngest members. We support the Parent’s Supervised Driving Program (PSDP) for Washington and Oregon (learn more about the partnership here). A free resource, PSDP, helps parents teach a progression of driving skills and pairs with the RoadReady® telematics app to automatically track practice drives (or if you prefer, PSDP includes a printable log you can use to manually record practice hours).
Young drivers also are welcome to use our My Driving Program, accessible through the GO PEMCO app, to capture their progress on skills like smooth acceleration and braking, speed control, gentle cornering, and more.
Learning to drive is one of life’s greatest milestones – and we’re honored to support your teen’s success. Check out our Teen Driver Blog for more helpful tips for teens and parents.
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