How dumb is-

[MathGeek]

A lot of this comes down to parenting. We began having the children print google maps and play the role of navigator while we taxi them about long before teaching them to drive. We also keep a lot of maps in the car and break them out to figure things out when there is an unexpected issue. We've got the GPS and cell phones, but usually we do not even turn on the GPS unless we make a wrong turn and need to figure it out quickly and get back to the proper path.

In the first couple years of licensed driving, we review routes and contingency plans with the teen carefully before handing over the car keys for a trip on a route the teen has not driven multiple times. Most times the parent has already ridden along with the teen along the same path multiple times during the year the teen was accruing hours on their learner's permit. There is also a clear expectation that the teen contact a parent immediately in the event of an accident, break down, getting lost, or other unexpected delay reaching the destination or returning home.

There are some pretty good apps out now that allow parents to monitor for things like texting and driving and can even inform the parent of real time location information and speed.

The 19 y/o in the above story did not arrive in her present state without considerable parenting failures when she was 15, 16, 17, and 18.