Not So Fast : Parenting Your Teen Through the Dangers of Driving

Providing fully updated advice to parents, guardians, and other adults who supervise teen drivers, this second edition of __Not So Fast__ will help to guide and empower readers. Parents will learn priceless information in teaching teenagers how to evaluate the circumstances of every driving trip, how to say "no" when necessary, how to prepare a "flight plan" for each drive, and how to put safety before convenience. Parents will also benefit by understanding the real dangers and risks in teen driving by recognizing the limits of driver training programs and will thus becoming more informed and proactive in their supervisory role. Current statistics, updated research, and additions dealing with hands-free devices as well as drowsy driving, make this new edition a valuable resource for anyone concerned about teen drivers. Proceeds from sales will support a memorial fund—set up in honor of Hollister's son, Reid, who was killed in an automobile accident in 2006—which subsidizes education and other traffic safety causes. Most driving literature for parents focuses on how to teach a teen to drive, without explaining why teen driving is so dangerous in the first place or giving parents a plan to preempt hazards. Providing fully updated and expanded advice, this second edition of Not So Fast empowers and guides parents, guardians, and other adults who supervise teen drivers. Coauthors Tim Hollister, a father who lost his teenage son in a crash, and Pam Shadel Fischer, a nationally known traffic safety expert who is also a mother of a teen driver, prove that supervision before driving is as important to lowering crash rates as teaching teens how to turn at a busy intersection. This authoritative guide tackles hot-button issues such as texting and distracted driving, parenting attitudes (conscious and unconscious), and teen impairment and fatigue—and includes a combination of topics not found in other teen driving guides, such as how brain development affects driving, evaluating the circumstances of every driving trip, and the limits of driver training programs. Current research and statistics and additions dealing with hands-free devices and drowsy driving make this new edition a valuable resource for anyone concerned about teen drivers. Proceeds from the sale of this book support the Reid Hollister Memorial Fund, which subsidizes infant and toddler education in greater Hartford, Connecticut, and worthy traffic safety causes. Most driving literature for parents focuses on how to teach a teen to drive, without explaining why teen driving is so dangerous in the first place or giving parents a plan to preempt hazards. Providing fully updated and expanded advice, this second edition of Not So Fast empowers and guides parents, guardians, and other adults who supervise teen drivers. Co-authors Tim Hollister, a father who lost his teenage son in a crash, and Pam Shadel Fischer, a nationally known traffic safety expert who is also a mother of a teen driver, prove that supervision before driving is as important to lowering crash rates as teaching teens how to turn at a busy intersection. This authoritative guide tackles hot-button issues such as texting and distracted driving, parenting attitudes (conscious and unconscious), and teen impairment and fatigue and includes a combination of topics not found in other teen driving guides, such as how brain development affects driving, evaluating the circumstances of every driving trip, and the limits of driver training programs. Current research and statistics and additions dealing with hands-free devices and drowsy driving make this new edition a valuable resource for anyone concerned about teen drivers. -- Amazon.com Introduction: 'Not so fast, young man/lady' Tim's story Pam's story Why there is no such thing as a safe teen driver Baseline dangers and higher risk factors 'My kid is very responsible!' What driver's ed is and isn't The ABCs of GDL (Graduated Driver Licensing) When should a teen start driving? Acting like an air traffic controller Negotiating and enforcing a parent-teen driving agreement The difference between purposeful driving and joyriding Getting a teen to acknowledge the risks The ceremony of the keys The unappreciated danger of passengers, even siblings Managing curfews Supervising the brand-new driver Traffic tickets as a teachable moment Car buying and sharing, and saving on gas Distracted driving: texting, 'connected cars', GPS, and headphones Alcohol and drug impaired driving Drowsy driving What schools can do Blind zones Vehicle identification stickers Defensive driver rather than high-performance training Non-English-speaking and single parent households Supervising other people's teens In summary: tips from Tim and Pam. "A new and unique approach to helping parents of teen drivers focus on preventing dangerous situations written by a father who lost his teenage son in a car crash"--Provided by publisher.