Resources for Teens
Whether you’re preparing for your driver’s exam or have recently received your license, DRIVE SMART University wants to help you stay safe on the roadways. Car crashes are the leading cause of teenage deaths and we want to improve those statistics. Please search here for free and fee-based resources, including sample driver’s tests, common errors made by teen drivers, driving laws and tips, and even ways to communicate with other teens. If there’s a resource you think we should include, please let us know.
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“Rookie Driver” Stickers and Magnets
“Rookie Driver” car stickers and magnets available to alert other drivers that a new driver is behind the wheel.
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MobileTEEN GPS
A mobile tracking device for teen drivers, created by AIG Insurance.
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“Student Driver” Magnet
A reflective vehicle car sign to let other drivers know that there is a student driver on the road.
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GPS Apps for Safe Teen Driving
There applications that you can install on your phone (or your teen’s phone) for almost anything today.
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Sharing the Road
The Sharing the Road Program is designed to educate young drivers on how to safely share the road with large trucks. However, all drivers can benefit from reviewing the materials and scenarios on this website, to ensure they are properly sharing the road in their everyday driving.
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teenSMART
Unlike driver’s education programs that focus on passing a driving test, teenSMART uses behavioral intervention methodology and scientifically based instructional technology to identify and address six factors that cause more than 90% of all teen collisions. Teens learn about each of these factors through self-paced, interactive exercises that keep them engaged and interested.
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Real Life Teens: Teen Driving
Real Life Teens, discussing teen driving, getting a driver’s license, drinking and driving, driving distractions, and how to be a responsible driver.
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“Under the Hood” Drivers Ed – The Auto Smarts DVD
An “Info-tainment” style video that teaches teens all they need to know about the basics of car care and preventative maintenance.
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Rules of the Road: Interactive Driver’s Ed Course
A comprehensive 2-disc interactive driver’s education course. This can be used as a refresher for skilled drivers or an introduction for new drivers.
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The Driving Book: Everything New Drivers Need to Know but Don’t Know to Ask
The Driving Book covers virtually every scenario a new driver may face, from changing a tire, to negotiating privileges with parents, to handling a car in bad weather.
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Safe Young Drivers: A Guide for Parents and Teens
Safe Young Drivers is a guide for teaching teens to drive and is intended for parents and teens to use together. Each new lesson addresses parental issues, such as how to choose a car for your teen, and provides teens with simple instruction and important tips to remember.
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Driving Simulator and Road Rules
An electronic driving simulator designed to act as a safe tool for teens to learn and practice driving skills. The software program simulates driving in cities, snow, fog, darkness and icy road conditions, practicing parallel parking, passing, lane changing and much more.
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The 13 Most Dangerous Traffic Situations and How to Survive Them: Teen Auto Club Driving School’s Core Program
Learn how to eliminate 95% of all the bad things that could happen to you on the road in a few short weeks. Learn to recognize the top 13 hazards and what to do to avoid them. Follow these techniques and you can become an extraordinary driver.
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Never Tailgate on a Rainy Day: Tips and Advice for the New Driver
“Never Tailgate on a Rainy Day (Tips and Advice for the New Driver)” is a gift book that welcomes new drivers to the open road with wisdom and humor. Blending useful driving tips, advice, and lessons learned with imagery that captures the adventure of cars and driving, this book tells a new driver, “Be safe. I love you!” A fun and informative gift for teens that parents will appreciate, too.
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Virginia Driver’s Manual
An online version of the Virginia Driver’s Manual that covers everything you need to know to prepare for the Virginia Driver’s Exam. Exam questions are taken directly from this manual.
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Virginia Department of Education 45 Hour Parent/Teen Driving Guide
A guide written by the Virginia Department of Education that details Virginia’s graduated license laws, what parents should be teaching their teens during driving lessons, and tips for parents of teen drivers.
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Partners for Safe Teen Driving
The mission of Partners for Safe Teen Driving is to help communities develop a parent education program, so that parents can guide their children through the first perilous years of driving.
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Create a Personalized Virginia License Plate
Virginia offers more than 200 unique plates that enable people with a common interest to identify or promote themselves or their cause. In addition to displaying special plates, motorists can add a personalized character combination to their plates using up to seven characters.
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Create a Personalized Virginia License Plate
Virginia offers more than 200 unique plates that enable people with a common interest to identify or promote themselves or their cause. In addition to displaying special plates, motorists can add a personalized character combination to their plates using up to seven characters.
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Facts About Trucks
Interesting facts about 18-wheelers created by “The Truckers Report” and presented through creative and fun-to-read infographics.
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The Truth About Teen Driving
An interactive article illustrating the history of teen driving, statistics on car accidents, and an outline of dangers and risk behaviors involved with teen driving. This great resource also includes car insurance rates and state regulations that parents will find very helpful.
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Texting and Driving Safety
Great statistics about teens and adults texting behind the wheel presented in a graphic format.
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Youth of Virginia Speak Out About Traffic Safety (YOVASO)
YOVASO is a youth leadership organization focused on saving the lives of teenage drivers through encouraging and empowering teenagers to be traffic safety advocates in their schools and communities. YOVASO helps students and school administrators set up a YOVASO Club or expand an already existing club to include safe driving initiatives. Trainings, support materials, safety campaigns, and staff assistance are all free.
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Celebrate My Drive
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teens. State Farm is committed to helping end these tragedies. We invite you to explore and use this comprehensive website, which is filled with free tools, tips, and resources designed to help teens and their parents throughout the learning-to-drive process.
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Teens in the Driver’s Seat
A peer-to-peer teen safety program that focuses solely on traffic safety and addresses all major risks for this age group. Teens help shape the program and are responsible for implementing it; Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) provides the science, guidance and project resources. Teens in the Driver Seat® is available to high schools in California, Texas, Georgia and Montana; junior high schools in Texas and Georgia; and youth groups in Texas.
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MasterDrive
MasterDrive is a national driving school and online resource center that features clinics for parents and students as well as information for corporate fleets.
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Alive at 25
This course designed by the National Safety Council is offered in collaboration with law enforcement agencies throughout the country with the mission of reducing automobile crashes involving young drivers and passengers.
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Teen Driver Source
Created by the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, this website provides important traffic safety information and tools to new teen drivers.
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Virginia State Police
The Virginia State Police website has information on vehicle safety, state laws, criminal investigations, and more.
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Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT)
– The Virginia Department of Transportation website contains information about highway projects throughout the state, studies and work zone safety tips.
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Toyota Teen Driver
Resources for educators, parents, and teen drivers including quizzes, a mutual agreement contract, lesson plans, webinars, and driving activities.
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TeenDriving.com
Initially created when its author was 15-years-old, this website provides tips and resources for teenage drivers.
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The Century Council: Distillers Fighting Against Underage Drinking
The Century Council is a not-for-profit organization founded by distillers. They fight to eliminate drunk driving and underage drinking and promote responsible decision making regarding beverage alcohol.
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National Organization for Youth Safety (NOYS)
NOYS is a collaboration of approximately 40 national youth-serving organizations with the common goal of providing safe and healthy behaviors among youth.
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Metropolitan Life Insurance Company
MetLife’s website has a life transitions section with information on communicating expectations with teen drivers, teaching teens to drive, setting boundaries, and insurance.
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Keep The Drive
Keep the Drive is led by teens across the country who want to make a difference in the lives of their friends and classmates. It was created to let teens take action and do the talking about safe driving.
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Ford Driving Skills for Life
Ford Driving Skills for Life (DSFL) was established in 2003 by Ford Motor Company Fund, the Governors Highway Safety Association, and a panel of safety experts to teach newly licensed teens the necessary skills for safe driving beyond what they learn in standard driver education programs. Ford DSFL helps young drivers improve their skills in four key areas: hazard recognition, vehicle handling, speed management, and space management.
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GEICO Teen Driving and Teenager Car Insurance
Resources for teens and parents that includes a parent/teen driving contract, a PowerPoint presentation for parents, teen driving statistics, videos and an auto safety library with quiz.
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Driver’s Edge
Driver’s Edge is a non-profit organization and public charity dedicated to one simple thing – teaching young drivers what’s not being taught in traditional driver’s education. Their mission is to help save lives with our unique and innovative behind the wheel program.
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Centers for Disease Control
Centers for Disease Control’s website with fact sheets on the injuries and deaths caused by car crashes, information on graduated licensing laws, a toolkit, and prom safety information.
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The Allstate Foundation Teen Safe Driving Program
Allstate’s teen driving interactive website with tips for teens and parents. Survey results, traffic laws, and facts about teen driving.
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AT&T It Can Wait
Get statistics about teens and texting and driving, download an anti-texting app for your teen’s phone, and watch AT&T’s new 10-minute documentary titled “The Last Text,” featuring stories of real individuals whose lives have been adversely affected by texting behind the wheel.
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Liberty Mutual Insurance
Liberty Mutual’s teen website with information for teens with tips on preparing for the driving test, how to parallel park, and what to do in the case of an accident. Information for parents on helping teens learn to drive, insurance, and state driving laws.
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Sharing the Road
The Sharing the Road Program is designed to educate young drivers on how to safely share the road with large trucks. However, all drivers can benefit from reviewing the materials and scenarios on this website, to ensure they are properly sharing the road in their everyday driving.
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Teen Driver Information
Information provided by the Virginia DMV to help teen drivers understand the requirements of driver’s education and documents needed to obtain a license. The site also includes a Sample Knowledge Exam.
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Getting Your Learner’s Permit and Driver’s License in Virginia
The Virginia DMV explains the requirements for obtaining a learner’s permit and driver’s license in Virginia.
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Teen Driving Restrictions
Teen driving restrictions are explained on the Virginia DMV website and include curfew restrictions, restrictions on the number of passengers, and cell phone/wireless communication device restrictions.
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Virginia Rules – Driving
Virginia Rules on Driving has the information you need to know on getting and keeping your driver’s license.