Helping your teen learn to drive is a major milestone in the lives of many parents. This process is filled with extra patience, proud moments, and a bit of fear as you imagine your teen behind-the-wheel without you. But a recent study shows that many parents are optimistic about the next generation of drivers being safer than their own generation.

The TS drivers are a fundamental change from the 910-913-915 drivers. With a 10 year old driver and an age qualifying for senior citizen, you really need to get fit to take advantage of the lower TS prices from now until the new release. The Next Gen car, formerly known as the Gen-7 car, is the common name for the new racecar that will be used in the NASCAR Cup Series starting in 2022. A further evolution of the Generation 6 car, the Next Gen will feature improved aero and downforce packages while introducing new technologies on the track.

Thanks to better training, new regulations, improved safety features, and safer general driving behaviors, today’s parents are confident that this next generation is on their way to becoming safer drivers than in generations past and present.

Let’s take a look at these factors and how they’re contributing to a generation of safer drivers.

Better Training

In a recent survey, 81% of parents said that their children received a better driver’s education than they did. For many parents, driver’s ed was taught as part of their public school education, and it was often taught by the gym teacher who had a free period.

Today’s driver’s ed experience is more sophisticated. Specialized driving schools have popped up countrywide over the past couple of decades to offer quality driving instruction. Online driving schools provide engaging, multimedia curriculum to make the material interactive and memorable. And today’s driving instructors are also generally better trained than driving instructors of past decades, which allows them to better communicate the principles of safe driving to their students.

Thanks to this improved driver’s ed training, nearly three in four parents surveyed agreed that their teen is a safer driver than they were at his or her age.

Parent-Taught Driver’s Ed

We can’t have a complete discussion of the better training for new drivers without mentioning parent-taught driver’s ed as a new driver training option.

Parent-taught driver’s ed is a state-authorized driver’s ed program led by parents instead of by driving instructors. While most state-approved driver’s ed programs require a behind-the-wheel component with a certified driving instructor, some states, like Texas, are now allowing parents to instruct their teens in the behind-the-wheel portion of their driver’s training.

Many parents are happy to accept responsibility for their teen’s driving education. 76% of parents believe their parent-taught teen would be as safe as a driver who took lessons with a professional driving instructor. And parents appreciate the reduced cost, increased scheduling flexibility, and shorter turn-around time of these new parent-taught driver’s ed programs.

Check with your local DMV to see if parent-taught driver’s ed programs have been approved in your state.

New Regulations

Changes in driving regulations have also played a part in making this coming generation of drivers safer on the road.

Around the turn of the millennium, most states took new drivers directly from learner’s permit (which allowed the teen driver to practice driving as long as a licensed adult over a certain age supervised from the passenger’s seat) to full driver’s license. But today, most states include a “probationary” or “provisional” period between learner’s permit and full driver’s license. This period typically includes restrictions on how many passengers can be in the vehicle with the new driver and which hours of the day the driver can get behind the wheel.

In Texas, for example, teens between 16 and 17 years old can be granted a provisional driver’s license with the following restrictions:

• You may not drive a motor vehicle with more than one passenger in the vehicle under 21 who is not a family member.

• You may not drive a motor vehicle between midnight and 5:00 a.m., unless the operation of the vehicle is necessary for the driver to work, to attend or participate in a school-related activity, or due to a medical emergency.

• You are restricted from using a wireless communications device, including a hands-free device, except in the case of an emergency.

59% of parents surveyed believe regulations like this, which limit driving time, passengers, and distractions, are keeping today’s teenage drivers safer.

Improved Safety Features

Next Gen Driver

Thanks, in part, to the effort of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), today’s vehicles are designed to be safer than vehicles driven by previous generations. Improved safety features, like Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS), and rear-facing cameras are standard on new vehicles.

These improved vehicle safety features have had a dramatic impact on driver safety. In 2011, the US Transportation Secretary, Ray LaHood, announced that the number of traffic fatalities in 2010 was the lowest it had been since 1949! This is especially impressive considering the significant increase in the number of miles Americans drove on average in 2010 compared to 1949.

In addition to the safety features of vehicles themselves, safety features are also now available on mobile devices to promote safe driving. There are multiple safe driver apps, which monitor factors like speed, braking, and cornering to keep drivers accountable for their driving habits. There are also multiple apps that prevent drivers from accessing their cell phones while a vehicle is in motion, which limits cell phone-related driving distractions.

Safer Behaviors

Speaking of cell phone-related distractions, our survey data indicates that cell phone distractions are a bigger problem for parents today than for teens. Teens seem to be practicing safer driving behaviors with regard to phone access, texting, and even social media.

Consider these survey results:

• Parents are 38% more likely to keep their phone accessible while driving than their teens are

• Parents are 28% more likely to text while driving than their teens are

• Parents are 6% more likely to check social media while driving than their teens are

Perhaps this is why a respectable 72% of parents surveyed report trusting their teen to drive safely more than their parents trusted them.

Recently popularized tools like parent-teen driving contracts also help build trust. These formal written agreements between parents and their teen drivers outline the parent’s expectations regarding driving behaviors and explain the consequences for the teens if they fail to meet these standards.

On the whole, teens seem to have taken the safe driving message to heart, giving parents good reason to be optimistic about the safety of the next generation of drivers.

Do you want more information on online drivers ed courses, behind-the-wheel instruction, and teen driving tips? Find it all at DriversEd.com!

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ESPN takes a look at some of the young drivers on the cusp of elevation to Formula One. Here's what they are up to in 2018 and what they need to do to make it to F1.

Lando Norris

Formula 2 and McLaren reserve driver in 2018

2017 was a huge season for Lando Norris. Taking nine race victories and eight pole positions en route to winning the European F3 title at the first attempt outlined his ability and confirmed the hype that has been surrounding him ever since he began his rapid rise up the single-seater ladder. With experience of driving F1 machinery already under his belt, he looks destined for a place on the grid in the not-too-distant future.

This year, the 18-year-old will dovetail his new role as McLaren's reserve and test driver alongside a campaign in F2 at Carlin -- the same team he claimed the European F3 championship with. It will present a big step up from 2017, particularly against the might of F2 giants Prema Powerteam (which has won the drivers' title in the last two campaigns). But given what Norris was able to achieve last season, you wouldn't put it past him to impress again in 2018.

George Russell

Formula 2 in 2018 - TBC

Another man who enjoyed a successful 2017 campaign was Mercedes junior George Russell. With backing from the Silver Arrows, the 19-year-old made the most of his GP3 opportunity with ART to beat fellow countryman and teammate Jack Aitken to the title with a round to spare, despite making a relatively slow start to the season.

His superiority over the field -- winning the series by 79 points -- earned him his debut F1 test chance with Mercedes at the Hungaroring, before further F1 outings followed in Brazil and Abu Dhabi with Force India. He immediately impressed, setting the 12th fastest time in Brazil FP1 in a car he hadn't driven before. Russell is yet to announce his 2018 plans, but graduation to F2 is expected. Reflecting his 2017 dominance this year could see him land an F1 seat in 2019.

Antonio Giovinazzi

Sauber third-driver in 2018

The highly-rated Italian has already made his F1 race debut, standing in for the injured Pascal Wehrlein at Sauber for the opening two rounds of the 2017 season. His impressive run to 12th on his debut in Australia was slightly overshadowed by a crash-strewn weekend in China, but that hasn't deterred Sauber from taking him on as the Swiss team's third-driver in 2018.

Giovinazzi has not contested a full-time racing programme since he finished as runner-up to Pierre Gasly in the 2016 GP2 championship, but despite missing out on a Sauber seat for the upcoming campaign, he is well-thought of at Ferrari. Ferrari CEO Sergio Marchionne is keen to find a spot on the grid for the Maranello protégé in the coming years. His patience could be rewarded in 2019 if either rookie Charles Leclerc or Marcus Ericsson do not meet expectations, or indeed, if Leclerc was promoted to Ferrari. Given the team's technical link-up with Ferrari, Haas would not be out of the equation either.

Outside bets

Nyck de Vries

Formula 2 in 2018

The Dutch driver, part of the McLaren young driver programme, took a single race win at Monaco and made a further three podium appearances during his first season in F2 on his way to finishing as the second-best rookie behind Charles Leclerc -- in a year split between two teams that were never really in a position to challenge for big silverware. De Vries has a fantastic opportunity to outline his credentials in 2018 following a move into Leclerc's vacant Prema seat, and a title charge might just prove pivotal for his chances of making it to F1.

Pietro Fittipaldi

TBC in 2018

In 2018 F1 is set to be without a Brazilian driver for the first time since prior to Emerson Fittipaldi's 1970 debut. But the two-time F1 champion's grandson, Pietro, appears to be Brazil's next hope. The 21-year-old wrapped up the Formula V8 3.5 title in convincing style last season with six race wins, and demonstrated his pace by securing 10 poles from a possible 18, before ending the year as the as the quickest LMP1 newcomer in the WEC rookie test (which included McLaren's Fernando Alonso). Fittipaldi would need to perform from the outset in an anticipated move into F2 if he wants to keep Brazil's presence felt in F1.

Callum Ilott

Next Gen Drivers Cars 3

GP3 in 2018

The Brit bounced back from the disappointment of being dropped by Red Bull's esteemed young driver programme in fine style last season, recording six wins and 10 poles in an ultra-competitive European F3 field as he finished fourth in the championship. Victory also came in the qualification race for the notoriously tough Macau GP. His performances were recognised by Ferrari, with the Scuderia signing the 19-year-old to its academy. Next up for Ilott comes graduation to GP3 with leading outfit ART, and the youngster will be keen to follow in the footsteps of George Russell and Charles Leclerc by sealing the title at the first attempt to remain firmly on Ferrari's radar.

Joel Eriksson

Dewalt Next Gen Impact Driver

DTM in 2018

Nextgen Driver

Eriksson battled McLaren F1 prodigy Lando Norris for the European F3 title last season and proved a fierce competitor for the Briton but ultimately was forced to settle with second in the points, despite winning seven races. His strong sophomore campaign in F3 saw the Swede rewarded by a promotion to a BMW DTM seat for 2018. Instant success in the German touring car championship could provide an unconventional route to F1, in a similar manner to the one taken by former Sauber driver Pascal Wehrlein.

Mick Schumacher

Nextgen Driver Training

European F3 in 2018

Next Gen Driver Training

Could we see the Schumacher name return to F1 in the coming years? Mick Schumacher, son of legendary seven-time F1 champion Michael, certainly has some way to go, but has already shown flashes of his talent at just 18. The German ran simultaneous campaigns in Italian and German F4 championships in 2016 and agonisingly missed out on both titles, despite picking up a total of 10 wins across the championships. Adjusting to a rookie campaign in European F3 proved challenging with a 12th place overall finish, though he managed third-best rookie. A more competitive showing will be required in his second year at leading outfit Prema.