Countdown 2 Drive

The Challenge:

As a parent, getting through to a 13- or 14-year-old can be hard enough. But try talking about the responsibilities that come with growing up, like riding in the car with newly licensed friends, and things can really heat up, fast.

There’s not a lot of messaging to this age group. It’s hard to talk about things like drug use, curfews, and grades without sounding preachy. Parents themselves tread lightly for fear of being tuned out — for good reason; do you remembering listening to your parents at that age?

Typical Approach:

Endless “sit downs” from parents and teachers outlining the ominous perils of riding with new drivers, and/or ultimatums that tie good grades to drivers licenses. These come off as scary or condescending, so kids often shut down or cut these conversations off at the pass.

Our Approach:

Position driving as a reward for responsible behavior and smart choices via Safe Kids' Countdown2Drive initiative, one cornerstone of which is a customizable web-based parent-teen Passenger Agreement. This “contract” can be filled out individually from the privacy of parents’ or teens’ computers, then printed out and brought to the table to facilitate a face-to-face conversation about wants and goals. When both parties see eye-to-eye, the contract is signed and kept in a handy place.

This simple piece of paper allows teens to be accountable for their own actions and to follow-through on promises because they want to, not because a parent made them — a vital distinction when you’re fourteen.

The Results:

Anecdotally we know that 13- and 14-year-olds engaging in Countdown2Drive feel like they are heard and treated like an adult-to-be. And that feels good. Parents, meanwhile, convey increased peace-of-mind as their kids hop in the car with new drivers and, eventually, drive off into adulthood themselves.

The net-net: everyone gets a taste of mutually respectful negotiating that will serve parent and child well for what can be a bumpy road ahead.