Jennifer Morrison is the lead safety expert at Mazda North American Operations, under the title of Head of Vehicle Safety.
Be a role model for your teens who are watching.
Teens are not inherently unsafe drivers; they just have less experience. They are still learning safe driving practices and getting comfortable behind the wheel, making them inclined to mirror the driving habits they see at home. If parents pick up their phones while driving, teens will assume it’s acceptable. Modeling attentive, phone-free driving is one of the most powerful ways to keep young drivers safe.
Remind teens that inexperience magnifies risk.
New drivers don’t yet have the split-second instincts that come from years on the road. For teens, a momentary distraction like checking a notification or turning to talk to a friend can have more serious consequences because they are still developing driving “muscle memory.”
Put your phone away until the drive is over.
Phones are a leading driving distraction, but mental distractions play a role, too. Stressing about school, replaying a touch conversation, or planning the weekend can all take focus off the road. Encourage teens to put their phones out of reach and take a moment to reset before starting the car.
Lean on technology as a backstop, not a crutch.
Features like Automatic Emergency Braking, Blind Spot Monitoring, and Lane Departure Warning can help protect young drivers if their attention slips, but are not substitutes for safe driving. Parents can teach teens to treat these systems as an added layer of protection, not a green light to multitask.
Share encouraging progress and make safety the norm.
According to Cambridge Mobile Telematics, distracted driving dropped 8.6% in 2024, preventing over 100,000 crashes and nearly 500 lives lost. Teens today who grew up with technology understand the value, and many already believe notifications can wait until later. Parents can reinforce that positive mindset to make focused driving the standard and not the exception.
