Teen driving • Family safety

Distracted & Impaired Driving

The safest choice happens before the car moves. A few simple plans can protect you, your passengers, and everyone sharing the road.

Build a family driving plan Know Connecticut's rules

5 secondsLooking at a text at 55 mph is like traveling the length of a football field with your eyes off the road.

3,208 livesPeople killed in distraction-affected crashes nationwide in 2024.

1 safe callA ride home matters more than embarrassment, inconvenience, or getting in trouble.

More than a phone

Distraction takes three forms

Safe driving needs your eyes, hands, and attention at the same time. One action can create more than one kind of distraction.

Visual

Taking your eyes off the road to read a text, check directions, look at a passenger, or search for something.

Manual

Taking your hands off the wheel to type, eat, adjust controls, reach for an item, or handle a device.

Cognitive

Taking your mind off driving because of a conversation, stress, strong emotion, fatigue, or daydreaming.

Before you go

Take 60 seconds to set up a safer drive

Put the phone away
Turn on Do Not Disturb While Driving and place the phone out of reach.

Set the trip first
Choose directions and music before shifting into drive.

Buckle every person
Do not move until every passenger is secured.

Check yourself
Do not drive if alcohol, cannabis, medication, another drug, or fatigue could affect you.

Make a ride plan
Know who you can call and how you will get home if plans change.

Pull over safely
If something needs attention, park in a safe, legal location first.

Impairment is impairment

Legal does not mean safe for driving

Alcohol, cannabis, some prescriptions, over-the-counter medicines, and other substances can affect judgment, coordination, attention, and reaction time. Combining substances can increase impairment.

Read medicine labels. Warnings about operating machinery include driving.
Do not judge your own impairment. Feeling “fine” is not a reliable safety test.
Plan before using anything impairing. Choose a sober driver or arrange another ride.
Never ride with an impaired driver. Call someone you trust instead.

Connecticut teen drivers

Know the rules for ages 16 and 17

These highlights are a starting point. Always check the Connecticut DMV for complete, current rules and exceptions.

No phone use

Drivers under 18 may not use cell phones—even hands-free—or other mobile electronic devices while driving.

Passenger limits

For the first six months after licensing, only specified adults may ride along. Immediate family may be added during the second six months.

11 p.m.–5 a.m. curfew

Until age 18, driving is restricted during these hours, with limited exceptions including employment, school, religious activities, and medical necessity.

Every rider buckles

All passengers must use permanently installed seat belts. Driving while impaired by alcohol or any other substance is illegal.

See current CT teen-driving laws

Make it together

Our family safe-driving plan

Check each promise, then print or save the plan. Revisit it as driving experience and privileges change.

Phones stay silent and out of reach while the vehicle is moving. No one drives after alcohol, cannabis, another drug, or an impairing medication. The teen can call for a safe ride at any time. Safety comes first. Passenger limits, curfews, speed limits, and seat-belt rules are followed. Adults model the same phone-free, sober-driving habits they expect from teens.

For teens

Make the safe choice easier

Decide your ride before the event. Share your location with someone you trust. Create a code word that means “please pick me up—no questions right now.” You never owe anyone a ride, and you never have to get into an unsafe car.

For parents & caregivers

Keep the door open

Set clear expectations in writing, practice difficult scenarios, and model the behavior you want to see. A calm, guaranteed ride-home plan makes it more likely your teen will call when it matters.

Trusted resources

Learn more and make a plan

NHTSA: Distracted DrivingFacts, prevention steps, and national safety information. NHTSA: Drug-Impaired DrivingHow cannabis, medicines, and other drugs can affect driving. Connecticut DMV: Parent ResourcesGuides, teen-driving laws, and a parent-teen agreement. CDC: Parent-Teen Driving AgreementPut family road rules, expectations, and limits in writing.

Safety facts and links reviewed September 2026. National statistics are from NHTSA 2024 data. This page provides general education, not legal or medical advice.