Most states now have 6–12 month-long learner periods for young, beginning drivers as part of their graduated driver licensing (GDL) systems. Although parents play a vital role during the learner stage of GDL by supervising driving during these first many months, virtually nothing is known about the nature and quality of parental supervision.
Families of teenagers applying for a learner permit received either a booklet describing highly structured practice sessions for beginning drivers or a series of brief "tip sheets" offering more generalized guidance.
Several hundred parents (653) and teenagers (609) responded to mailed questionnaires asking about the early, supervised driving experience. Both parents and teenagers perceived parents as supportive and helpful during driving sessions. Parents often demonstrated positive behaviors, such as complimenting their teenager and pointing out possible hazards; they also exhibited less desirable behaviors, such as raising their voice, but these were less frequent. A majority of both parents and teenagers reported that they enjoyed spending this time together.
About four months after obtaining a permit, most parents believed their teenager did not yet have enough experience and was not ready to drive unsupervised. Finally, efforts to assist parents proved unsuccessful. Although parents thought the booklet and tip sheets were helpful, most used these materials only in a general way.
The extended learning experience required by GDL programs is a positive experience for many families. However, finding a method for helping parents achieve maximum benefits during this process will be challenging. The results also suggest that current requirements in the learner phase of most state GDL systems (six months; 30-50 hours) may be inadequate to ensure that teenagers obtain a sufficient amount of experience to begin driving safely on their own.