AAA Colorado ~ EnCompass Magazine

If you're the parent of a new driver, these facts will keep you up at night: Traffic crashes are the No. 1 killer of American teenagers. Teen drivers have the highest collision rate of any age group, and those who have driven one year or less have the worst crash rates by far.

You can do more than simply lose sleep. Although you can never crash-proof a new driver 100%, the following six steps will reduce the risks in a big way:

1. Size up your teen's maturity. How do your teens interact with parents and siblings? Do they respect other people? Do they think before they act? Maybe you think social skills bear no relation to those required behind the wheel, but safe driving is basically a social activity. Drivers must respect rules, respect others' rights and curb temper and impulsiveness.

2. Drive the way you expect your teen to drive. You are a role model. Do you consistently ignore speed limits, yak on the cell phone or gesture rudely to other drivers? If so, then why should you be surprised when your child does the same?

3. Practice, practice, practice. Your teen needs you even more after getting a learner's permit and starting driver education. "The parent should become the teen's practice coach," says Frederik R. Mottola, executive director of the National Institute for Driver Behavior. Schedule regular road sessions, know what is covered in the curriculum, correct mistakes calmly and provide praise when your teen does well.

4. Just say no to teen passengers and night driving. Statistics overwhelmingly identify driving at night and having other teens as passengers as the two biggest risk factors for teens. Colorado's graduated driver licensing laws phase in night driving and restrict the number of passengers. Be firm with your kids about observing the law.

5. Limit other distractions. You can't monitor your teen's behavior every minute in the car, but you can model safe behavior and insist that your teen not eat, use a phone, root around for CDs, or scroll through iPod playlists while the vehicle is moving.

6. Set clear consequences and stick to them. Just as traffic-law violations earn tickets and other penalties, violations of family driving rules should bring consequences. Penalties might include extra chores or the restriction or loss of driving privileges. Good behavior should be rewarded, too.

Joseph D. Younger is the automotive editor of Car & Travel magazine.

Additional Tips For more tips, as well as information on how to find a good driving school and a description of all available AAA resources, go to www.aaa.com/teens, or call 303-753-8800, ext. 8105.