Teen Driver Contract Now Available for Parents of New Drivers

For those parents who have, or are about to have, a new driver in their family, it is an exciting and worrisome time. New drivers are more dangerous and cause many car accidents, not only due to their inexperience, but because they may lack the necessary maturity to be safe in many driving situations. it is no surprise that new drivers are one of the leading causes of car accidents in South Florida.

In hopes of helping our fellow Floridians, and parents of new drivers, we at the Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Law Offices of Joseph Lipsky, are releasing our Parent and Teen Driver Contract. This agreement, which is printed below, tries to cover many of the most often abused teen driving issues. We hope that you use this contract, and share it with other friends and family members with teenage drivers, to help hold them accountable for the serious responsibilities which accompany driving a car.

_________________________________________________________________________ PERSONAL INJUYRY LAW OFFICES OF JOSEPH I. LIPSKY, P.A.

1200 South Pine Island Road Cornerstone One • Suite 320 Plantation, Florida 33324 Toll-Free 888-FLA-LAW8 www.lipskylaw.com PARENT AND TEEN DRIVER CONTRACT I ________________, understand that driving is a privilege and not my right, just because I now have a driver’s license. In order to keep my license, and the privilege of driving, I promise to follow the rules listed below:

TEEN DRIVER’S RULES OF THE ROAD

– To call you before I drive – To let you know where I’m going and what time I will be home – To let you know whom else will be in the car with me – To always wear my seat belt, and to make sure all of my passengers wear theirs on too – I will follow all traffic laws, and will stay within the speed limit and not drive aggressively – I will NEVER use the car to race or to try to impress someone else

– I will not drive with more than ____ passengers in the car at any time – I will stop driving immediately, and call you, if one of my passengers is acting unsafe – I will NEVER use my cell phone while driving, regardless of whether it’s to text, use the internet or use GPS – I agree that I will only answer incoming cellphone calls if I am able to use a hands-free system – BUT I will not make any cell phone calls at all

– If I need to use my cell phone to make a call, I will pull off the road to safe location

– I will not eat while driving – For the next ____ months, I will not drive in bad weather – I will NEVER drive if I’ve used any drug or consumed alcohol – I will NEVER allow anyone else to use drugs or drink alcohol in the car – I will NEVER get in to another car if that driver has used drugs or consumed alcohol – I will NEVER get in another car if drugs or alcohol are present – I will NEVER give a ride to someone I do not know or a hitchhiker

– I will NEVER let someone else drive the car unless you give me permission – I will NEVER drive someone else’s car unless I have their parent’s permission – If I ever receive a traffic or parking ticket, I promise to notify you and I understand that I will be fully responsible for paying for that ticket – I understand that keeping my grades up is one of the jobs I must do to maintain my driving privileges. I agree that if my grade point average drops below a B, that I will lose my driving privileges until my grades improve.

In the event I break one of the above Rules of the Road, I agree that I will lose my driving privileges as follows:

PENALTIES

– Drove after drinking alcohol or using drugs, No driving for ____ months – Got ticket for speeding or moving violation, No driving for _____weeks – Drove with too many passengers in the car, No driving for _____weeks – Drove without wearing seat belts (self and others),No driving for _____weeks – Any other Rules of the Road violation, No driving for ____ weeks PARENT(S)’S COMMITMENT

– I/we will not be angry or upset, and I/we promise to pick you up, when you call if you feel driving is not safe, regardless of when or where you are – I/we will not embarrass you if you decide not to drive and want me/us to pick you up

Teen Driver Acknowledgment I agree to follow each and every rule listed above, and to use my common sense when driving, in order to keep my driving privileges.

_____________________________ Signature: Date:

Parent(s) Acknowledgement I/we promise to teach you good driving skills.

_____________________________ Signature: Date:

While this contract does not cover every situation which may arise concerning a new teenage driver, it provides a basis for a commitment with your teenage which will hopefully prevent an accident and save lives.