Not So Fast Parenting Your Teen Through the Dangers of Driving

by Hollister, Tim; Shadel Fischer, Pam; Van Tassel, William

• ISBN13: 9780897336659
• ISBN10: 0897336658
• Edition: 3rd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2025-10-21
• Publisher: Chicago Review Press
• More Book Details

Summary

 

"This concise, practical, and potentially life-saving book should be required reading for every parent before their teen gets behind the wheel." —Publishers Weekly

Newly updated with the latest information that takes into account the post-pandemic changes and rising crash rates, Not So Fast third edition provides advice to parents, guardians, and other adults who supervise teen drivers about the critical decisions that must be made before getting behind the wheel of a car.

This book helps empower and guide parents of the more than three million teens obtaining new driver’s licenses annually in the United States. Authors Tim Hollister—a parent and safe driver advocate—and Pam Shadel Fischer—a highly experienced transportation safety professional—have been guiding parents of teen drivers for over a decade with this factual and easily applied advice. They prove that supervision before driving is every bit as important to lowering crash rates as teaching teens how to turn at a busy intersection. Parents will learn priceless information for teaching teenagers how to evaluate the circumstances of every driving trip, how to be able to say “no” when necessary, how to prepare a “flight plan” for each drive, and how to put safety before convenience.

Parents will also benefit by learning the real dangers and risks in teen driving and the limits of driver training programs and will thus become more informed and proactive in their supervisory role.

Author Biography

Tim Hollister became a national authority and spokesperson for safer teen driving after losing his 17-year-old son Reid in a car crash in 2006. He was awarded the 2012 AAA Southern New England Traffic Safety Hero of the Year Award as well as the U.S. Department of Transportation National Public Service Award, the nation’s highest civilian award for traffic safety. He lives in Bloomfield, Connecticut. Pam Shadel Fischer is a transportation safety consultant with three decades of experience. Deborah Hersman is president of the National Safety Council.

Table of Contents

Foreword by Sandy Spavone

Introduction: “Not So Fast, Young Man/Lady”

My Story

Why There Is No Such Thing as a Safe Teen Driver

Baseline Dangers and Higher Risk Factors

 “My Kid Is Very Responsible!”

What Driver’s Ed Isn’t

The ABCs of GDL (Graduated Driver Licensing)

When Should a Teen Start Driving?

Acting Like an Air Traffic Controller

Negotiating and Enforcing a Teen Driving Agreement

The Difference Between Purposeful Driving and Joyriding

Getting a Teen to Acknowledge the Risks

The Ceremony of the Keys

The Unappreciated Danger of Passengers, Even Siblings

Managing Curfews

Supervising the Brand New Driver

Traffic Tickets as a Teaching Moment

Car Buying and Sharing, and Saving on Gas

Distracted Driving: Texting, “Connected Cars,” GPS, and Headphones

Impaired Driving: Alcohol, Drugs, and Fatigue

What Schools Can Do

Blind Zones

Vehicle Identification Stickers

Simulators and High-Performance Driving Schools

Non-English-Speaking and Single Parent Households

Supervising Other People’s Teens

In Summary: Tips from Reid’s Dad

Afterword: A Plea to Parents

Teen Driving Resources

Model Teen Driving Agreement

Acknowledgments

Index