1

Yes, it set easy-to-understand guidelines and the repercussions for not following them. 

2

Yes, it was helpful.  It brought up some points for discussion that I
hadn't thought of.  I have sent along a small donation by mail.

3

 I think it's a useful program as it is, and I can't think of any way to
improve it at this time.

4

It clearly stated rules and limits.

5

I started making a contract right after our son got his license.  My goal was to finish it & implement it October 25.  My son was in a serious accident on October 24.  All walked away, but one boy was hurt enough to be airlifted later for a neck injury.  My son made some bad choices that he still may have made with the contract, but I regret not putting in place the day he got his license. He will not drive again for several more months but we will have the contract in place before then.  I wish parents (like me) would be more willing to step up and be the "tough guy" with their teen drivers.  It could save their lives.  I can't even imagine having to live with the "what ifs" if someone would've died in that accident.

6

Mainly helpful in conveying to him what we expect.  He keeps a copy in his glove compartment in his car

7

It was helpful because it provided a basis for discussions and useful educational materials.

8

Continue the good job

9

 I am Executive Director of a nonprofit youth development organization and plan to include this program in the list of recommended activities for our youth participants.

10

Yes, the organized lesson plans are great.  Reminding our kids about the
video you showed is helpful too.

11

We actually did a lot on our own because it's just common sense. However, it was good for our daughter to read the same information we've been coaching her on from another source, as we do everything. We agree you need to start teaching your kids "how to drive" about a year before getting there. Start talking about what to look for, where to stop, rules, signs, etc. Everything that has nothing to do with the gas and break first. Then, that is all embedded in their minds already and they can concentrate on the rest when they get behind the wheel.

12

Bring it to schools? I'm not even sure how I got wind of it, but it might have been through a publication. How about advertising the web page in church bulletins, papers, schools or school newspapers, organizations, etc.

13

It helped to set some boundaries – reinforce responsibilities and that driving is not a "right".

14

Make it a mandatory part of any young driver getting his or her license.

15

Yes She drove for 1 month before limited passenger driving. No cell phone south of a certain road (into town) and hands free only north of that road.

16

Yes with my teenage daughter.  She needed structure.

17

As explained above it was very useful and I think made an impact on our daughter, even though we did not formally execute the program. It also helped me change my driving habits. It is a wonderful program at the best and at worst a great reminder fro adults on safe driving habits.  That makes it a winner in my book.

18

If both parents don't agree on the need and how to enforce it, it is still a helpful tool - that was our case. I cannot think of any way for you to improve the program. Maybe create a forum for parents to discuss how they got their kids or spouse to support the effort.

19

Yes, it was a good springboard for conversation with my son when he got his license, and then again after he started driving solo. We continue to discuss portions of the Promise when the opportunity arises.

20

Yes.  It helped underline the other inputs into my son's life.

21

I linked it to my nephew’s site.  He was killed in a car crash.  The 16-year-old driver was doing 80 in a 45 mph zone.

22

My sister used it for her teenager and she said it was the best of all similar sites.

23

Yes, and included your website on our summer church youth newsletter

24

The only suggestion I would have is to possibly add a second contact for your child should they need assistance. I told my son and put on the contract that if he is too scared, embarrassed, unsure, etc...to call me or his Dad, he is to identify an adult that he would call for assistance to act as a mediator or temporary safe harbor.  We obtained the permission of this person; set the ground rules and all signed that item number on the contract.

25

I think that even more emphasis must be put on a prolonged period of accompanied driving.  Individual maturity counts a lot.

26

Yes, the program is an excellent idea and provides a level of insurance for my wife and I.

27

YES It gets us talking about issues raised.

28

Yes, it was an icebreaker showing him others are doing the program as well and that it's a nationwide program.

29

Let me begin by sharing that your program and its website were very strong references when building my own safe driving program for my sixteen year old son who received his license in July 2004. Your information was very helpful, and among many references used. In addition to building a safe driving program, a "driving contract" was created and implemented.  From this, I forwarded the same information--websites and a copy of the contract to the chief of our local police department. He enthusiastically endorsed the concepts, and has provided the information and copies of the contract to many parents.   

30

While most of the tenets of the safe driving program are just good ol' common sense to most mature drivers, it became a structured and defined approach when training my son, as well as letting him loose on the highways. I feel he has excellent driving skills, but also he is now very aware of my feelings, expectations and limits on his driving "behavior."

31

Would be an asset to all parents of driving teens, and marketing it more widely would be a tremendous step. 

32

We did use the safe driving program in our family and yes we found it helpful to bring awareness to a very stressful time.  I personally have spoken of the program to many people.  We find the program to be helpful in that it brings attention to the factors that are important.  Thank you for the service and thank you to Marcy Smothers at our local radio station for bringing you to our attention.

33

Get e-mail address out to High Schools w/ Drivers Ed programs for parents.

34

I liked the guidelines it helped set and the feedback you had from police officers and other driving instructors.  It helped my daughter understand why I wanted to spend so much time with supervised driving .

We also liked it because it wasn't "our" idea; we were following guidelines from someone far smarter than us.  Makes it a little easier for a new driver to buy into.

35

I printed it out and have available for students and families at my high school library.

36

Everything was helpful.  We didn't know exactly if the conditions that we put on his driving privileges were valid and your site indicated that yes, we were on the right path with our concerns/demands, etc.

37

I have discussed this program with other mother's with teenagers. I sat down with my son and read over each part of the contract.  We both signed it.  I hope that this will eliminate the "you never told me" statement later. A friend told me about this program.  I think it could be more widely advertised, maybe through the schools, driver ed programs or insurance companies.

38

I think the worst thing that can happen a young teenager is to suddenly find that they are not immortal. And that they are the one it happened too and not it only happens to other people.  My daughter has had two accidents since she received her license.  The first was outside school in really bad weather.  The 2nd with me in the car.  She is a careful driver and drives well.  Her accidents were inexperience and bad judgment. She is the more
careful of her friends when driving and the only one that keeps the speed limit - she can't believe they have not had an accident. I am waiting for them to have one as at the speed that they do drive, they will not come out of it or they will be very badly injured!  The great thing about your program is it made my daughter think about other people on the road and always leave room for error hers and others.  I would love if your program
were compulsory.  I wish I had found it before she got her full license.  I would definitely have used it, and aim to with my other daughter who has her learners now.

39

Please try and get it out to schools and Government institutions like the Vehicle Bureau.  So every child and family gets a copy. I wish the driving age was 18 and that the kids had restrictions.  Unfortunately some parents let the kids drive anyway.

40

 It was very helpful - having it come from an outside "official" source seemed to make a big difference with my son.  This is because it wasn't just more rules coming from his mother and father.

41

I think it is great.

42

We shared the site with many friends; we found the site very helpful as it filled in a lot of the information gaps for us with our first teenage driver, our son.  Thank you!

43

Yes, I believe it reinforced her awareness of the need for constant attention to safe driving.  We are fortunate that she is a responsible person.  I plan to use it with my son when he is of age.

44

I heard about it on KSRO in Santa Rosa and downloaded the agreement right away. I have a 16-year-old just starting driving lessons now so I will be going over the agreement with him during the summer. I think it will be very good. I have told other parents about it. As it becomes a part of our family's plan I will inform you. Thank you for the agreement.

45

Yes.  We wanted to set up guidelines for our daughter ahead of time so she would know our expectations and the consequences she would face.  She is extremely responsible and hardly drives except to school, to church, to babysit, to help out with her younger siblings and occasionally go to a friend's.  She is very good about calling whenever she arrives and departs from a destination.  We will definitely use the program when our other children reach driving age, as they do not have the "first born" tendencies!

46

Very helpful, it gave my daughter boundaries, simple rules she had to abide by or the car was taken away.

47

Yes, I have used the program and it is great. It helps to have the established guidelines to discuss with my daughter and enforce. I have not recommended it to anyone else but will--just busy!

48

Printed two of the Accident Forms for every vehicle. (one for my family member and one for the other driver of the other car) Its so nice to know that its there in case of an accident.  I will know EXACTLY what information I need to get and give to the other drivers.

49

Start handing it out with the Drivers Ed Classes and with the Drivers Handbooks.  Put it into schools- especially around Prom time... A lot of limo companies will give you discounts if you sign a document like that that states you are a safe driver and promise not to drink and drive, etc.  (I can only do so much to spread the word- and believe me... I'm trying...)

50

We added as long as she is in our house there will be no one with alcohol and no one with any drugs even in her car.

51

Good ideas and practicable applications

52

Thank you for helping us to communicate with our teenage drivers.  I imagine that it is pretty thankless work, but I want you to know that as a parent, I really appreciate it!  Keep up the good work.

53

YES - very helpful!!!!  Great idea!

54

Yes, to a Driver's Ed teacher whom I had originally asked for this type of information from, but she had none.

Yes, my son had to sign the contract and go over every line filled in by us and the additional specific information we provided. 

Yes, it was a great guideline for whose responsibility was whose from the beginning of driving. He was not allowed to drive until we had gone over all of it together. He began to have an attitude of, "I know, Mom, I get all this stuff, do we have to read every single word of it?" Needless to say, I ended the reading of the contract until the next day, which meant he could not drive to school the next day as he had been planning. I wanted him to try to grasp the severity of the responsibility of driving and if he wanted to hurry through the initial stages, he was going to miss something and do the usual, "I didn't know that" response from a teen when something did happen. He is a very bright kid, just impatient, so this was a great help.

55

My daughter turned 16 on April 6 and on that day she signed a 4 page Driving Agreement which was reviewed by her prior and a few minor changes were made to satisfy both parties.  The agreement is to be reviewed on June 6th to see if changes should/could be made.  I used a lot of your ideas and tweaked them accordingly.  My daughter showed her agreement to a lot of her friends but I felt many of the parents thought this agreement must be
because I don't trust her rather than it being an agreement where the responsibilities/expectations of driving were written and consequences were stated upfront.  

56

I would try to get the message to Driving Instructors at schools to make them aware of the program so they can mention it to parents and possibly show them a sample agreement.

57

Yes, we used the contract, modified as we saw prudent and as a result of our child's input.

58

Yes, it not only gave ideas of items to consider (relative to concepts of safe driving restrictions for our child), but it also reinforced parental responsibilities in having a teen drives.

59

Yes - While my son was less than enthusiastic with the program, it did serve as a way to begin an open dialog. We used it when he first started driving and then at the first follow-up.

60

As I said, for us, the benefit of this program was the dialog it opened. 4 years ago, our community lost two teens in a horrible car accident involving excess speed and no seat belts. That left a lasting impression on their classmates.  Brittany would have graduated with my son this year and was remembered often during commencement exercises last week.  My son remains a safe driver and I hope he continues to benefit from what we taught him both with your safe driving program and our on the road instruction.

61

Yes. It helped my wife and I explain our rules about driving to our son. We weren't sure exactly how to approach subjects such as passengers and driving hours, but your program helped us help him become a better, safer driver.

62

Yes - i am an insurance agent & have referred people to the site

63

The contract was OUTSTANDING.  I liked that it had to do with a promise I made as well as my daughter made.

64

Yes, I thought by both of us reading and signing the contract we made a commitment to each other regarding the importance of safety, however car safety has always been very important in our family.

65

I would like to find out how to provide this information to our parent group at our High School in an easy way that we could provide a small presentation and have the forms available at one of our parent member meetings.  Thank you very much.

66

Yes, we used the Safe driving commitment sheet and added a few more things in it to individualize it to our specific needs.  I had been looking for a contract and finally put it into Google and your program showed up otherwise I don't think I would have found it otherwise. I will keep it in mind to tell others about.

67

Keep doing it...if it saves one life (and you may never know it did), your mission was accomplished!  We are praying for you!

68

First of all well done, the I Promise program was for me invaluable help and support.  As a single mother with a teen-age son, I not only suffered from the normal anxiety of "letting him loose behind the wheel" but also feared coaching/restricting too much or too ittle...thank you for sharing the I Promise program. It is indeed a labor of love and I for one am very grateful.

69

Yes I did, as I mentioned above, I feared either restricting too much or too little, your thoughtful guidelines made me realize I was not alone and there can't be too much instilling responsibility

70

Family rules are usually not written.  Driving Safety is important enough to be documented.

71

Get the information out.  I told many people and my insurance agent about. The more people that know the better.

72

YES- I felt it was better to be pro-active than re-active.  On such a serious responsibility and privilege, which most kids take lightly and for granted, it was easier to "play the game" with the rules firmly in place. Thank you for providing your information.

73

YES - I took several programs and consolidated. 

74

I did visit your web site and found it extremely, extremely helpful.  Our family does use the safe driving program - only modified somewhat to fit our family's dynamic and goals.  I created a contract that is working very, very well with our 16-year-old son.  And it's nice because our nine-year-old sees it and recognizes that he'll be participating in a similar contract when he's of age.  I forwarded the contract we created to several of our friends
and family and directed them to your web site.
What I've found is particularly nice is that Jake fully understands our expectations and knows what the consequences will be should he violate the contract.  What's also nice is that there are certain expectations of us, as parents.  My husband has never been diligent about wearing a seatbelt, but now that it's part of our part of the contract, we have some leverage to get him to wear it.

75

We referred to the program and used some of the suggestions along with other ideas we came up with as a family or from other friends. We wrote our own contract but used some of what your provided.

76

We should always be talking to our teen drivers about safety issues, some parents may need a gentle reminder of this, especially if their teen has been driving for several months. We learn to trust them, but we can never afford to take for granted that they are inexperienced drivers.

77

Yes we used the safe driving program in our family.  My son turned 16 on 2/3/05.  He found it very informational and helpful.  He learned more from your program than he did in his drivers ed classes which were 10 days at 3 hours per day.  A lot of the little things (I do not have specifics here at work) you spoke about stuck in his head and we'll be driving along and he'll say, I remember reading about that, or so and so said to do this.
Your contract was wonderful and at least 4 other family's I know of used it with their teens. My son initially thought it hokey, but after reading your program and the contract did in fact sign it and is following it.  I greatly appreciate the fact that your program was out there for those of us new parents with up and coming teens driving.  My son is very responsible and works currently between 15-25 hours per week and goes to high school (only a sophomore) and he plays soccer indoor and outdoor so he is very active and does do quite a bit of driving.  I've yet to let my daughter (age 13) ride with him as I am a firm believer that they need at least 6-9 months of driving alone prior to adding another child to the mix.
Thanks again for all of your hard work and continued efforts.

78

 It gave a different perspective to what we taught our son.  It did not come from the "parents".

79

I have two sons, ages 19 and 16, who both have their permits. Both hope to get their license this summer. I found many of your ideas/suggestions interesting and helpful.  Looking through your site gave me ideas about teen "driving management" that I had not thought of. It will be helpful re- presenting guidelines that are positive and not viewed as punitive. I will be happy to answer your specific questions once we have developed our own version of a contract and it has been in place for six months or so.  

80

Yes, we executed the program with my 18-year-old son after his second speeding ticket.

81

Yes, my son's second ticket was a charge of driving 86 mph in a 65 mph zone.  My wife and I were very concerned, as this was his 2nd violation since starting to drive at 17.  We felt we needed to take aggressive action and be pro-active in training him to be a safe drive.  I attended a two-day, 16 hour program with my son, which included 6 hours of behind the wheel observation and implementation of safe/alert driving techniques outside of the classroom material.  One of the suggestions of the instructor was to enter a contract with your teenage driver.  I researched on-line and determine the I Promise Program to be the most comprehensive.  We executed the contract prior to the court date for his Reckless Driving charge.  During his court hearing my son explained to the judge the steps taken and how serious we were about his driving, and provided the judge a copy of our executed contract.  Upon the judge's review, he reduce the charge to speeding (15 mph over the limit), put him on probation for 6 months (which has expired with no further violations), and required that he attend an 8 hour traffic safety program through the State of Virginia DMV, which he completed and sent the certificate to the court.

I think you have a great program here that is valuable and if possible should be kept "alive."  My kids were already too old to benefit from this.  I wish I had found it earlier.  I applaud your efforts.

82

 I did present the contract to my daughter on her sixteenth birthday. I recommended the program to many other people. We did use the program. I plan on using the program with my other 2 teenaged sons as they get their license.  By outlining our expectations before they start driving, the rules are clear.    The only deviation we have used is the cell phone.  We live in Dallas and she is frequently caught in traffic or lost.  She does use the phone to call me while driving. Thank you for sharing this program,

83

 Yes.  Some useful ideas; we have found that our son responds better to the general notion that he agreed to certain things when we got a car and needs to live up to those commitments.  

84

It hit upon some things we did not think of.  Our son is our first teenage driver in our home so it is all new to us. 

85

Maybe try to get insurance companies to promote it.  When I tell my friends about it they think it's great, however few have heard of it.

86

Yes, to a point.  We also have an older son and daughter.  We had developed our own contract for them, but found it outdated.  We used some of our original language, and added some of yours.

87

It’s great.  The only thing I have to add, is that my parents, who are older, didn't understand why we have contracts.  They didn't have one for us and didn't think it was a good idea.  When I explained to them that it is a way for your children to truly understand the responsibilities of driving and that it was not a punishment tool, they lightened up a little, but not much.

88

Yes, I used your contract with my son and yes I shared it with the other parents of his friends.  There is strength in numbers!  And I'm not so "gay and stupid" if I'm not the only parent enforcing these rules!  Thank you for your efforts and time in putting your website together.  It was a tremendous help.  In the beginning my son tested the limits with the running late part.  Especially in the morning going to school.  All it took was twice to pull out that contract and show him that section and then I took his car away for the time that we had predetermined.  Worked like a charm!  And no fighting or yelling because everything was worked out ahead of time! 

89

The contract is very helpful, outlining specific responsibilities and privileges.

90

My stepson is 15 1/2 and I was recommended your website by a friend. Yes - the contract has REALLY helped us as parents to be aware of driving related issues that we often take for granted.

91

Yes, it took the guess work out of what happens if the rules are broken, and gave us some great guidelines for length of restriction etc.

92

I thought the process and information was great!  Your customer service was equally impressive.

93

It helped me voice all the concerns I have about her being on the road without making it sound like I'm nagging and sets a precedent for expectations for her younger siblings from the outset.

94

Yes, I found it very helpful... It let me know where my parents stood about me driving. I never had to guess if this was an ok action. It helped my parents see what i thought about the driving rules and we agreed on a safe set of driving rules for me