Driving and the teenage brain

Watching your teenager get behind the wheel can be nerve-wracking for any parent, but neuroplasticity educator and parenting expert Nathan Wallis has some suggestions to make it slightly less scary for all concerned. Watching your teenager get behind the wheel can be nerve-wracking for any parent, but it doesn't have to be scary, says neuroplasticity educator and parenting expert Nathan Wallis.Wallis has recently teamed up with professional driver Greg Murphy and the vehicle safety and training provider AutoSense to run a series of road safety talks for young drivers and their parents.He told Kathryn Ryan that the teenage brain is "primed for risk-taking" and that teenagers don't have the same access to the part of the brain that you really need for responsible driving. "They get an endorphin buzz from risk-taking so it is a dangerous period."The teenage brain is naturally primed to believe that 'I'm bulletproof', so teenagers have a naive optimism that they'll be fine - even when their anxious parents believe otherwise.Wallis shared the following tips for parents wanting to minimise the risks for their teenage drivers. Discourage passengersLimits on when young drivers can take passengers, such as when they have learner and restricted licenses, are grounded in science, Wallis said."As soon as another teenager gets in the car, the teenage brain automatically shuts down to the limbic emotional brain. So you've got way more chance of having an accident."I don't think parents realise it. I think they just think it's about them needing a bit of practice by themselves first, but it's actually one of the most dangerous times."Teenagers' brains are connected to their social interactions so their brain's priority shifts from driving to their passengers - even if they've got those extra passengers when they are under adult supervision.Don't bother with defensive driving courses"I think they're completely useless," Wallis said."Waka Kotahi did their own research to show that people who do the defensive driving course are absolutely no safer than people who didn't do the defensive driving course."Talk to your teenager about the science behind the rulesExplain the science as well as come from the angle of 'I'm not trying to break your fun. I'm trying to keep you safe'," Wallis said."As far as communicating with teens, so much of it's about the emotional brain... You've got to make them feel competent, and then not being overly critical and constantly criticising."…Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details