Gov. Jim Justice joined West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles Commissioner Everett Frazier to introduce the “Parent’s Supervised Driving Program,” a new initiative to help parents teach their teens to drive.
“This program is designed to get kids interested in getting their driver’s licenses,” Justice said. “I remember counting down the days to get my permit and then my license. That was an important time in my life. Nowadays, kids have so many things going on, and we want to give them a reason to get excited about getting their licenses. This program is one of the innovative ways we’re encouraging kids to learn how to drive.”
The “Parent’s Supervised Driving Program” offers expert-guided, quality curriculum providing parents and guardians with a simple, easy-to-follow plan designed to help teens develop safe driving habits. In addition, the program includes the popular RoadReady® mobile app for iPhone and Android.
“Keeping all West Virginians safe on the road is a priority to me, and as a parent myself, I value the knowledge and guidance this program provides,” said Frazier.
Teens who test for their Level 1 or Level 2 GDL across the state will be provided a copy of the guidebook. The program is also available online, via digital curriculum as well as pdf download, at PSDPonline.com. One can download the free app from a phone’s app store by searching RoadReady. The RoadReady app logs and manages hours spent behind the wheel so families can easily keep track before testing for their driver’s licenses. Nationally, the app is downloaded more than 1,000 times per day. The guidebook itself is divided into lessons that make it easy to focus on specific skills that become more advanced as time goes on.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, crashes are still the leading cause of teen deaths. The organization recommends that parents become familiar with the restrictions placed on a teen’s license and encourages parents to be more involved as their teen learns to drive. Also important is establishing ground rules for teens by restricting night driving and passengers, requiring seat belt use at all times, and prohibiting any use of cell phones or other electronic devices while driving.
“Parents are the key to ensuring the safety of teen drivers,” said Emily Stein, Safe Road Alliance president. “The more involved the parents are at this important phase when teens are learning to drive, the more likely that these teens will avoid being in a crash once they are driving on their own.”
“The Parent’s Supervised Driving Program,” now in use in 24 states (including Washington, DC) nationwide, features a high quality, magazine-style printed instruction guidebook. More information about Graduated Driver’s License and the program is available online. The RoadReady mobile app provides a fun and useful way to track the required 50 hours of behind-the-wheel driving experience; available for iPhones at the App Store and for Android on Google Play.
For more information, please visit the WV DMV website at dmv.wv.gov
