Help your teen driver stay safer on the road with these tips and new services

Did you know teen drivers are nearly three times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash than older drivers? In fact, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among teens ages 15 to 18 years old. And the crash risk for 16-year-olds is 1.5 times higher than it is for 18- and 19-year-olds. The reasons are many: lack of experience behind the wheel, distractions from smartphones and other teens in the car, and rigorous schedules that leave many teens exhausted while driving.

At OnStar, teen driving safety is one of our top priorities. As part of National Teen Driver Safety Week, which runs from Oct. 17–23, 2021, we’re sharing tips and resources for parents of teen drivers. To get an overview of what parents can do to help their teen driver develop safe driving habits, we talked with Sheryl Alpern, a driving instructor at Lee Driving School in Michigan.  

The OnStar Guardian^® App: Now your teen driver can take key OnStar safety services with them, even if they don’t drive an OnStar-equipped vehicle — or if they’re riding in a friend’s car. The OnStar Guardian app* includes Mobile Crash Response, which uses your smartphone’s sensors to detect a crash and alert an OnStar Emergency Advisor,* as well as Location Status,* which lets up to seven family members* share their locations with one another.

Talk to Your Teen Driver: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) offers additional rules of the road to share with your teen driver: wear seat belts; no drinking or using drugs; no distractions, like eating, drinking or texting; no speeding; and limit the number of passengers, which may be required under your state’s graduated driver’s license restrictions.

Parents Are the Key: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides resources to help parents learn how they can encourage safe driving behaviors.

Teen Driver Technology: Available in properly equipped Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac vehicles, this built-in teaching tool helps parents coach their teen driver by allowing them to set high speed warnings, limit the maximum vehicle speed and more. And the in-vehicle report card makes it easy to track your teen’s driving performance and identify problem areas.