Behind the wheel: New Missouri law aims to increase teen driving safety

From staff and wire reports

Are your children driving themselves to school this fall? Better spend some time preparing them.

It's best to set rules ahead of time and be clear and consistent, experts say.

"Do it outside of the emotion of the moment," said Derek Ball, director of the Hiebert Institute at Marriage and Family Counseling Service in Rock Island, Ill. "Then there is no debate, no negotiations. And you're not going to win a debate with a teenager."

A new survey of 903 students with driver's licenses found that one-third said their parents have not established clear consequences if they break the law while driving. And 43 percent say their parents have not established clear consequences for breaking family driving rules, which are often stricter than state laws, according to the survey by Liberty Mutual and Students Against Destructive Decisions.

Missouri's new law

In August, a new Missouri law made it illegal for a teen with an intermediate license to have more than one passenger under the age of 19 in the car who is not an immediate family member.

An intermediate license is a transitional license for drivers ages 16 to 18 that carries certain restrictions.

Local teens say the law isn't logical.

"Sixteen I can see it apply, but not for anyone older than that. You might as well just raise the age of driving if you're going to do this," said Michael Cervantes, a senior at Central High School.

Fellow senior Dan Hampton agreed.

"It's retarded," he said. "It takes the fun away from driving with your friends. And now more people are going to drive since they can't all drive together, which is bad since gas is so expensive."

Tips for parents

Parents can follow four guidelines to keep their children safe, suggests Dave Melton, product director of transportation for Liberty Mutual. They should set expectations, communicate them to their children, set consequences and follow through consistently, he said.

Consequences need to be meaningful, such as revocation of driving privileges or refusal to pay increased insurance costs or traffic tickets.

And there's much more to warn them about besides speeding. The SADD survey found that 42 percent talk on a cell phone while driving; 35 percent eat and drink; and 10 percent use an electronic device with a screen.

Ball said parents need to practice what they preach and maintain the same message no matter what.

"Teens are most concerned about fairness. If they're getting a consistent message from parents, that's something they can count on."

Freelance writer Emily Hendricks and the Associated Press contributed to this report.