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Driving

When and how your teen gets a license and the rules for driving, including a written family agreement.

When and how should our teen learn to drive?

In short: Parents choose between 4 main approaches: Delay the licence; On time, with stricter family rules and a written agreement; State rules only; Full freedom. Evidence: well established. Guidance and evidence agree. The real question is whether you'll follow it. Best settled: teen.

Evidence
Well established
Best settled
Teen
Part of
Learning & the wider world

Driving: what are the options?

Parents usually land on one of these 4 approaches.

  1. 1. Delay the licence

    The teen waits beyond the legal age to get a licence.

  2. 2. On time, with stricter family rules and a written agreement

    The teen gets a licence at the legal age, with extra house rules written down and signed.

  3. 3. State rules only

    The teen follows only the legal restrictions for new drivers.

  4. 4. Full freedom

    The teen drives with no restrictions from you.

Driving: what does the evidence say?

Well established. Guidance and evidence agree. The real question is whether you'll follow it.

Strong graduated-licensing laws go with 30% lower fatal crash rates at 15-17; CDC recommends a written parent-teen agreement

Sources

What else is worth knowing?

Car crashes are a leading cause of death for teenagers, and risk is highest in the first months of driving. Graduated licensing laws limit night driving and passengers. Some families add their own written agreement.

Questions to ask each other

  • At what age do we want our teen to drive?
  • Would we write a family driving agreement?
  • What rules about passengers, phones and night driving?

More in The teen years

First published 2026-10-03. Last updated 2026-10-05. General information, not medical advice.