When The Who performed Baba ORiley during Madison Square Gardens Sandy Relief concert, at least Pete Townshend looked his age. But when Roger Daltrey started singing about teenage wasteland, well, something wasnt right, and were not just talking about his waxed chest.
If youve seen the statistics on teens and driving, you cant help but be shocked by that wasteland. Every day in the U.S., seven teenagers are killed in car accidents; annually, a quarter of a million or more end up in the emergency room. The highest risk comes during the first six months they have their license, and its especially risky when more kids are in the car and at night.
So, if you remember when The Who had hair both on Townshends pate and Daltreys chest and youve got a teen asking for the keys, heres how to keep them safe.
1. Provide driving lessons and consider that you might not be the best choice for teacher.
2. Provide opportunities to practice with an adult onboard (in empty parking lots, empty streets, then gradually in higher-traffic zones).
3. Inspire your child to be a careful driver. How? By example: When you drive, dont talk on the phone, text, speed or drive without your seat belt. (Just developed and hopefully available soon, the CAP, or cellphone accident preventer, blocks a drivers cell, but not passengers.)
4. Insist on check-ins to help your new driver resist peer pressure that puts your teen and friends in danger. And make it clear: Breaking rules means no driving.
The You Docs Mehmet Oz, host of The Dr. Oz Show and Mike Roizen of Cleveland Clinic are authors of YOU: Losing Weight. To submit questions, go to www.RealAge.com.




