Our son has completed his driver’s education and we have survived the required hours of day and night-time supervised driving. We still have a few months until his 16th birthday. We have decided to that we would like him to have a vehicle that is safe, reliable and one that he will like. It must be safe for obvious reasons. We want it to last at least 6 years to get him through college and it must be something he appreciates so that he will take care of the vehicle. We came up with a budget of $10,000 which should allow him to pick a vehicle that meets our three objectives. We believe he should share in the investment and have provided a payment schedule of $500 down and $125/month. Over 36 months he will pay for 1/2 of the vehicle. This plan is within his capabilities and has some boundaries, but is pretty simple.
As we approach the B-Day, I learned of a driving contract that one of my friends used with his kids and we will adopt it. I thought I would share this driving contract with you with hopes that it will help you communicate the great responsibility of driving and provide boundaries you can agree upon. May God protect and keep our young drivers safe.
Psalms 121:8 “The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forever.”
Parent – Teen Driving Contract
Full Name hereby referred to as “NAME” and Parent Full Name and Parent Full Name hereby referred to as “PARENTS” are parties subject to the following Driving Contract as described below:
Item: 1. Speeding and Tickets: In 2005, speed-related crashes accounted for 44% of fatalities among 15-20 year olds.
NAME agrees to obey the traffic laws of the state of Texas.
NAME will advise her PARENTS of any violations and will be held responsible for any fines.
Should NAME have more than one (1) violation in any six (6) month period, NAME will lose his/her driving privileges for the next six (6) month period at the discretion of her PARENTS.
Item: 2. Crashes: Sixteen-year-old drivers have crash rates that are three times greater than 17 year-old-drivers and five times greater than 18-year-old drivers.
NAME agrees that should she crash her truck he/she will lose her driving privileges for the next three (3) month period following the crash. NAME will pay for one-half (1/2) of the cost to repair the truck. Driving of any vehicle within the three (3) month period will be at the discretion of her PARENTS.
Item: 3. Drinking and Driving: In 2005, drunk driving caused one of every four fatal teen crashed.
NAME agrees he/she will not Drink and Drive.
If NAME Drinks and Drives he/she will lose her driving privileges for the next (6) month period following the learning of such event.
Item 4. Cell Phones, Music, And Other Distractions: Talking on a cell phone while driving gives you the reaction time of a 70-year-old.
NAME agrees that he/she will not talk on the cell phone or listen to music while driving for the first six (6) month period he/she has his/her permit.
If NAME talks on a cell phone while driving or listens to music while driving during his/her first six (6) month period of driving, NAME will be grounded from driving during the weekend following the violation that occurred. In addition, every violation that occurs will result in two more weeks of having the rule in effect.
More than the sum of three violations of talking on a cell phone or listening to music while driving the first 6 months will result in NAME losing his/her driving privileges for (1) one month at the discretion of his/her PARENTS.
Item 5: Time of Day: Half the teens who died in car crashes in 2005 were killed between 3 pm and Midnight.
NAME will abide by local teen driving curfews. During the first 6 months of driving NAME will not drive past the hour of 11 pm unless agreed upon by her PARENTS.
If NAME violates the teen driving curfews he/she will lose driving privileges for the next seven (7) days following the violation at the discretion of his/her PARENTS.
Item 6: Number of Passengers: According to a recent study, the presence of just one more teen in a car doubles the chance of a fatal crash.
During the first six (6) months of driving, NAME will drive only by him/herself or with family members – (NAME has the option to ask permission to drive someone other than a family member). During the second six (6) months of driving NAME will be allowed to drive with one (1) person outside the family plus any family members.
Should NAME violate the above, it will result in the loss of driving privileges for two (2) weeks at the discretion of her PARENTS.
Item 7: Seatbelts: Using lap / shoulder belts can reduce the risk of dying in a car crash by 45%.
NAME agrees to wear her seat belt while driving.
Should NAME drive while not being buckled up; NAME will lose her driving privileges for one (1) week at the discretion of her PARENTS.
Item 8: Grades: Good grades aren’t just important for a teen’s future, they can also save money. We / You qualify for discounts on insurance premiums with your good grades.
NAME agrees to maintain a “C” average in all her classes.
If NAME has below a “C” average during a nine (9) week period, NAME will lose her driving privileges for three (3) weeks or until the grade average is above a “C” at the discretion of his/her PARENTS.
Item 9: Commitments of NAME and PARENTS:
NAME:
I promise to abide by the contract outlined above. If I break any part of this contract, I will accept the consequences. During any time that I cannot drive, I will be responsible for making other arrangements to get around.
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Full Name (NAME) Date
PARENTS:
We promise to do what we can to help NAME succeed in the following contract. We promise to make time to help NAME become a safe and responsible driver. We understand this is an evolving contract and promise to make ourselves available to discuss these rules and their consequences when necessary.
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Parent Full Name (PARENT) Date
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Parent Full Name (PARENT) Date
