Driving schools need parents help in keeping teens safe on the road

HIGHLANDS RANCH, Colo. Local driving schools, like DriveSafe Driving Schools in Highlands Ranch, need parents' help in continuing safe driving lessons with their teens outside the classroom.

The lessons are simple, and we've all heard them before: don't drive under the influence, put your cell phone down, keep both hands on the wheel, etc.

Teen drivers are rolling their eyes already.

However, Jake Dinwiddie, senior lead instructor at DriveSafeHighlands Ranch, says that not everyone gets this lesson at home.

"Ultimately, it's just up to them to continue that when they get out there by themselves and when they leave our doors, really the conversations they're going to have, it's going to be with friends and family," said Dinwiddie.

Dinwiddie says National Teen Driver Safety Week is a good time to remind teen drivers and their parents of common risk factors for teen driving and what parents can do to help reduce risk.

Over the past five years, the Colorado Department of Transportation has seen an almost 60% increase in fatal crashes involving teens on Colorado roadways.

Dinwiddie knows that his students don't want to be lectured, but he also knows the consequences of risky behavior on the road.

"The one thing that [teens] have going against them and this is not up for debate, it's just a fact is they have a lack of experience," said Dinwiddie.

"When you haven't done something quite as much as somebody else, you maybe have this false sense of confidence that comes along with that," he said.

That false sense of confidence and inexperience can increase a teen driver's chance of getting into trouble on the road. At DriveSafe, Dinwiddie teaches students what they need to know but says setting a good example at home can go a long way toward helping teen drivers stay safe.

"What I try to do is not just educate my students, but the parents that come into our lobby, is don't just set the rules for your kids to follow, set the example," said Dinwiddie.

"Be willing to take a look in the mirror and say, 'Hey, what habits should I maybe change? What should I do to show my child? If I can do it, I expect them to do it as well,'" he said.

Dinwiddie said opening a line of communication can strongly affect a teen's decision to make safe choices on the road.

"Don't try to shame anybody. Let's have an open line of communication," he said.

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