Iowa recently became the latest state to offer the free Parent’s Supervised Driving Program.
The program, developed by Safe Roads Alliance, is offered in more than 25 other states and is sponsored by State Farm and Toyota.
The program gives parents and guardians a plan designed to encourage safe driving habits among teens. It uses a guidebook that is divided into lessons that focus on specific skills.
“Those first outings with your teen behind the wheel can be the most formative for our new drivers, and a bit nerve-racking for both them and their parents,” Mark Lowe, Iowa Department of Transportation director, said, “With this program, parents will have tools and tips to make the learning experience behind the wheel safer and easier, and more effective.”
New drivers in Iowa are required to have a minimum of 20 hours behind the wheel before they can advance from an instruction permit to an intermediate license, but parents are encouraged to have their children experience a variety of driving conditions.
To track hours, families can download the free RoadReady app.
The guidebook will be provided at driver’s license issuance sites to all teens obtaining an instruction permit and also can be downloaded online.