A Guide to the Michigan GDL Parent Checklist

The Michigan Graduated Driver Licensing Parent Checklist is a free resource intended to assist parents or legal guardians of teens with understanding and following the steps of Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL.)

Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for teenagers in the United States. GDL is designed to limit teens to safer driving environments while they build their skills and gain driving experience with the goal of reducing traffic crashes.

Parents or guardians can use the GDL checklist as a “road map” to help prepare themselves and their teen(s) for the steps of the GDL process.  The checklist enables parents, guardians and teens to track the progress of GDL drivers as they move through the different levels of GDL.

For more information, including how to obtain copies of the GDL checklist, click here.

"Remember that driving requires your complete attention and that unexpected events can happen very quickly, leaving little time to react. Plan ahead." Ruth Johnson Secretary of State

Don't drive impaired!

When most of us hear the phrase 'impaired driving,' we immediately think about alcohol.  But alcohol is not the only substance that can impair a person’s ability to drive. The statewide number of crashes involving drivers who used drugs or a combination of drugs and alcohol increased in 2016. Over 30 percent of the traffic fatalities in Michigan in 2016 were as a result of an impaired driving crash. 

Help keep yourself and others safe. Never get into a car with someone who has been drinking or using. Likewise, if you have been using drugs or drinking, call a trusted adult to come pick you up, or use the SaferRide app which is available for free from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to help you get home safely.

For more information about the consequences of driving impaired, click here.

Stop for trains!

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has a warning video for anyone considering trying to beat a train across the tracks:

Don't do it!