Parent's supervised driving program (PSDP): a message for instructors

​​​​​As professional Driver Training Instructors, you know your teen-students need:

  • you to teach them how to drive
  • their parents to ​help them accumulate the minimum 50 hours of supervised driving experience (with 10 of those hours at night) before applying for a Probationary driver license
  • as much additional practice as possible. The more supervised driving that parents conduct with their teen driver, the safer the teen will be when driving alone.

It can be especially beneficial when parents use a structured approach during the supervised driving phase with their teenager. That’s where the Parent’s Supervised Driving Program (PSDP) can help.

The Wisconsin Parent’s Supervised Driving Guide provides a structured approach to the parent-supervised driving phase. You can focus on the importance of this approach when discussing the supervised driving phase with parents. This approach encourages parents and teens to develop driving experience under varied conditions: inclement weather, on different roadways and at night.

The PSDP recognizes that there can be more than one correct way to teach things. Occasionally there may be differences in methodology taught by driver education instructors. In this case, the PSDP guidebook recommends that parents contact you for clarification.

If the lessons in this program are different from the instructor’s, contact the instructor to clarify the discrepancy.

The intent of the Parent’s Supervised Driving Program is simply to provide parents with a useful resource that will inspire and enhance parent-supervised driving with their teen.

Who gets a PSDP guidebook?

  • DMV will give one copy of the PSDP guidebook to the parent or legal guardian of each teen driver issued an original Instruction Permit.
  • If a parent or guardian is not available upon issuance of the Instruction Permit, the guidebook will be given to the teen driver to give to their parent or ​guardian.
  • A RoadReady mobile app is available to help track hours of supervised driving.

Safe Roads Alliance developed The Parents Supervised Driving Program. It is published in association with the WisDOT Division of Motor Vehicles with funding from West Bend Mutual Insurance Company.

Working together, with a consistent message of parental involvement, we can help make Wisconsin teens safer independent drivers.

Additional information:

 

Driver Training Schools
P.O. Box 7920
Madison WI 53707-7920

Email dotdrvrtrnschool@dot.wi.gov
Phone (608) 264-7495
Fax (608) 223-7705