SPOKANE, Wash. — For new drivers, every action behind the wheel requires mental concentration. National Teen Driver Safety Week offers families an opportunity to discuss how teens can develop safe driving habits.
The Spokane Police Department’s Traffic Unit has worked with schools across eastern Washington to implement “Teens in the Driver Seat,” a peer-to-peer safe-driving program. In the Spokane School District, Shadle Park High School was the first to adopt it, followed by Salk and Glover middle schools.
The program addresses impaired and distracted driving, pedestrian safety, and other critical topics.
“When we reward kids for good behavior as opposed to telling them this might happen if you do something wrong, it is really impactful for kids. They learn that way a lot better,” said Mike Thomas with SPD’s Traffic Unit.
The program includes an app called “You in the Driver Seat” that allows teens to earn gift cards for safe driving. Thomas identified distracted driving as the biggest risk officers observe on the road.
Tim Gienapp, owner of Interface Driving School, emphasizes that parents play a crucial role in shaping teen driving behavior. While parents cannot control whether their teen uses a seatbelt or speeds once licensed, they can directly impact inexperience through additional supervised driving time.
“The inexperience is the thing that parents can have a direct impact on. More time behind the wheel now will help them gain that experience,” Gienapp said.
Gienapp recommends parents approach safety discussions as conversations rather than lectures. Start by asking young drivers about their concerns before establishing expectations and rules around driving.
Full interviews with both driving experts are available with this article.
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