Welcome to the Driver in Training Zone (DITzone).

The DITzone Program is about providing parents and teens with tools for enhancing the quality of their "at-home" driver training. "At-home" refers to parent supervised training and practice.

Improving your odds of training a safe teen driver requires commitment and dedication to the training process and this may be your only chance to influence your teens driving style. By committing to the training process and putting more rigor into your training approach, you may influence the overall outcome of your teen's driving career.

To be good at anything sports, instruments, theatre, etc., practice is the key. Quality and quantity of practice are critical to success of any endeavor. Driving practice is especially important because inadequate skills can cause injury and even death. Drivers Education (school or private), Advanced Driving Clinics are excellent and highly recommended; however, "at-home" practice time is critical to the success of a new driver.

Dr. Jessica Hartos, from the Department of Health and Behavior at UNC Charlotte, has been conducting studies on the effect that parents can have on teen driving behaviors for over 10 years. She gave us this insight.

"Our research indicates that parents want to be involved in their teenagers' driving and think that they should be involved in driver education; however, parents do not want to just be told to "be involved"; they prefer to have information readily available for what they should know and do and how they should do it"

Throughout you child's life you have been actively involved. Think of the decisions you have made to improve their odds of success: medical check-ups, parent-teacher conferences, tutoring, shuttling to and from practices and performances, coaching ...

Driver training is survival training! It is crucial to do all that is feasible because the stakes are so high for your teen and everyone else on the road!

Why do we think the DITzone program will work?

Being ill prepared is unacceptable when driving. Preparing yourselves to train your teen will improve your chances of training a safe, defensive and courteous driver. The preparation tools will help you develop a personal training plan for your practice time.

By agreeing to the expectations, limitations and consequences [the terms] governing the privilege of driving, stress and conflict decease, and statistically, the likelihood that your child adheres to your terms increases with the use of a driving contract.

Has a bumper sticker ever made you laugh or more importantly think? If you answered YES, then DITzone signage works. The goal of DITzone signage is to make other drivers think about your vehicle.

The 411-Journal works because simple instructions make difficult situations easier.

See how the DITzone Program can help you augment your own personal "at-home" training approach. This small investment can help you add structure that is required to improve your teen's success while s/he gains the necessary experience to become a safe and courteous driver.

Explore the Zone Program .