Green Light, Red Flags: The Truth About New Drivers with Scott Seibert & Steven DeBonis
Episode 42 | About This Episode
Back-to-school season means one thing for a lot of families: a nervous teenager behind the wheel for the first time. On this episode of Injury Pros, host Steve DeBonis sits down with Scott Seibert, a 23-year driving instructor, Lower Merion School District teacher, and owner of My Turn to Drive School, to talk about how teen driving has changed, and what hasn’t.
Scott breaks down his “three golden rules” for new drivers (seatbelts, no impaired driving, no phones), and explains why Pennsylvania’s newly enacted Paul Miller’s Law now makes holding a phone while driving a primary offense — yet most new drivers have never heard of it. The conversation digs into the real accident patterns Scott sees on the road: left-hand turn conflicts, hard braking, misjudged curves, and the dangerous first-month spike in crash risk once teens get their license.
Steve and Scott also tackle the harder conversations parents avoid — marijuana use among teens, peer pressure, and why modeling good behavior behind the wheel matters more than any lecture. They discuss the decline of mandatory driver’s ed in schools, the financial burden that places on families, and what separates a good driving instructor from a bad one.
Whether you’re the parent of a brand-new permit holder or just want to be a safer driver yourself, this episode is full of practical, real-world advice you won’t hear anywhere else.
In this episode:
- Scott Seibert’s “three golden rules” for teen drivers
- Pennsylvania’s Paul Miller’s Law and why so few new drivers know about it
- The most common causes of new-driver accidents
- Why parent-taught teens often struggle more than instructor-taught teens
- Marijuana, peer pressure, and the modern designated-driver conversation
- The push to make driver’s education mandatory in Pennsylvania
- What to look for in a quality driving school
- How parents can stay engaged after their teen gets licensed
About the Host
Steve DeBonis is an attorney at Cordisco & Saile, where he represents individuals and families navigating the aftermath of serious injuries. Learn more at cordiscosaile.com.
About the Guest
Scott Seibert is the owner of My Turn to Drive School, a Delaware Valley driving instruction company staffed entirely by educators with advanced degrees. Learn more about Scott and his team at myturntodriveschool.com.
