by Flaura Koplin Winston, M.D., PhD, Scientific Director of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s Center for Injury Research and Prevention  @safetymd |  healthykids@philly.com

As summer winds down, many families have been using their teens’ extra hours of free time to get in lots of practice driving. Parents often ask me year-round what to look for in a driving school and how to support their teen’s practice driving. I tell them that high-quality driver’s ed and effective parent-supervised driving practice are key to preventing teen crashes, the No. 1 cause of death for adolescents in the United States.

Choose a driving school with care, equipped with knowledge. Many states require drivers to complete specific driver education training courses and behind-the-wheel driving before they can get an intermediate license. Make sure the driving school curriculum matches or exceeds your state’s requirements.

The best driver-education programs not only teach driving skills, but also supervise parents in practicing those skills. These schools promote deliberate interaction between their licensed, certified driver-education instructors and parents to ensure that new skills are assessed at each stage and mastered before the teen takes the behind-the-wheel test at the DMV. If you have a teen with special needs who wants to drive, the Association for Driver Rehabilitation Specialists offers a directory to help you find a professional in your area.