Parent-Teen Driving Agreement

Nov 18, 2025

Road Safety Tips

An ongoing, open dialogue between parents and teens is an important part of novice driver safety. Being a good role model, appointing the best supervisor for the job (even if it’s not you) and checking in on a regular basis is great start. Some families also decide to put a parent-teen driving agreement in place so everyone’s clear about the family rules, expectations and limits.

A driving agreement can reinforce safe driving habits, encourage responsibility and ownership of choices, reduce conflict and help teens manage the risks associated with learning to drive. Creating a driving agreement can foster open communication between parents and teens about concerns and expectations regarding driving, leading to more trust and cooperation during the learning process. But remember, this is a two-way street, so if you decide to put pen to paper and craft an agreement, make sure you include expectations for both parties, so teens feel supported rather than constrained by a list of rules to adhere to.

Here are some tips for creating an agreement.

Set clear rules and expectations covering at least the five key risk areas for young drivers and their passengers. Consider including guidelines for other risks like driving in poor weather, taking long trips etc.
Include your own commitments – i.e. how many driving lessons you will give each week, helping to plan trips, who pays for fuel and insurance, cleaning and maintenance checks – these are things you can do together.
Make sure they have options. You may wish to include a ‘get out of jail free card’ whereby your teen can call at any time and you’ll pick them up, no questions asked. This may be if they feel uncomfortable with peers, if they’ve consumed alcohol or even if they find themselves too tired or stressed to drive safely. If not, agree on a safe adult they can contact.
Help them manage distractions by setting boundries and pre-planning.
- Consider passenger restrictions
- Create a phone management plan (see below)
- Help them plan rest breaks for long trips. This will reduce distraction caused by eating on the go and driver fatigue
- Don’t forget to include a plan to change negative mindstates which can be detrimental to safe driving
- Spend time putting together a safe driving playlist, avoiding fast tempoed, loud music
Outline clear consequences for breaking the agreement. This can act as a deterrent against risky behaviour, such as speeding or driving recklessly

Creating Phone Plan

At Ryda, students devise and commit to a phone management plan (below). Discuss the pros and cons of various settings, storage locations and ways to make sure they remember to follow through. Use the template below to record their commitments:

Takeaway tips

Parent-teen agreements are a two-way partnership – “I’ll be a good driver” and “I’ll be a good role-model and supporter”
Focus on the areas you know your teen will need help with – ie, if they find it hard to ignore their phone, make sure you have a strong phone plan in place
Keep the lines of communication open and gradually give more freedom to acknowledge progress

Find info for:

Find info on:

Been to RYDA?

Five Fatal Facts

Creating Phone Plan