The headline of a recent article in the weekly automotive section of a newspaper: “Parents Spending Less On Teen Drivers.” No surprise in this economy. Driving is expensive. Insurance rates for teens have always been much higher than they are for older drivers(and with good reason, given teens’ crash rates). The escalating price of gas has only made things worse for teen drivers and their parents. In these difficult economic times, teen driving that is not for a paying job is something of a luxury. Relatively few teens, I suspect, make enough money through jobs to pay for gas and insurance, much less enough to buy even a used car. The lower teen crash and fatality rates of the past several years are due in part to stricter teen driver laws, but also to troubles in our economy that have resulted in teens driving less, for no other reason than the high cost of driving.
I suppose we can feel badly about all of this, but the cost of driving should lead us to consider one important way that parents can control their teen drivers – through their “purse strings.” Here in Connecticut, since 2008 when we adopted tougher new statewide teen driving laws, many parents have thanked me (and the many others who served on the Task Force that recommended the changes) for putting mandatory laws in place — laws that get them off the hook when confronted by teens who are desperate to drive in a way or at a time that our state now forbids. Our new, stricter teen driving laws have given parents a way to say “No.” and most of them are grateful for it..
Parents should keep in mind that money is another way to say “No.” Whether by explaining the family budget to your teen and showing what would have to be cut if the family allocated more to non-essential gasoline, or refusing keys on a particular day because of a recent, unexpected expense, the financial costs of driving are a way to exert control — and a way that teens are hard pressed to challenge. Using your wallet to rein in a teen driver might even have the beneficial effect of teaching about the fiscal realities of life — budgeting, prioritizing expenses, pinching pennies, and saving.
So, the cost of driving is a difficult challenge for millions of Americans, but parents, whatever the family’s economic situation, should bear in mind that money is one important way to control teen driving.
