For every driver
Safe driving pledge templates
Pick the pledge that fits your group, fill it in, then print it or save it as a PDF.
Free safe driving pledge templates
A pledge works best when it fits the person and the moment. A new driver on license day needs something different from a company that sends staff on the road, or a family planning for a parent’s later driving years. Each template below is written for one group, with the promises, plan and signatures that group needs.
Templates for:
- Any driver making a fresh start
- Teen drivers and a witness they trust
- Prom and graduation nights
- Schools, clubs and community events
- Employers and people who drive for work
- Party hosts and their guests
- Older drivers and their families
- Pick the template for your group.
- Choose your promises and fill in your plan.
- Print it or save it as a PDF, then sign it.
Provided by Safety Behind the Wheel Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Free to print, copy and share.
Choose your pledge
Each template is written for one group and the moment they are most likely to use it. Pick yours to see who it is for, how to make it stick and the form itself. What you type is saved on this device, so you can come back and print it later.
Rather make your promise online? Take the Drive With Care Safety Pledge. Want a challenge to go with it? Try the 30 day phone free driving challenge.
Personal pledge
A pledge for any driver
For anyone who wants to drive safer, starting today.
When people use it
A fresh start, like a new car, a new commute or the new year. After a ticket, a close call or a crash. In memory of someone you lost on the road.
What it is for
To turn a good intention into two or three habits you can keep, and to give someone you trust permission to check on you. Distracted driving alone claimed 3,208 lives in 2024 [2].
How to make it stick
- Pick no more than three promises.
- Write a plan for the moment you are most likely to slip, like a phone buzz. Plans that name when and what you will do are more likely to work [7]. Our phone setup guide makes the phone promise easier.
- Tell one person and pick a check in date about 30 days out.
My safe driving pledge
I am making this pledge because my life, my passengers and everyone else on the road matter to me. I will keep these promises every time I drive, including short trips close to home.
1. My promises
Choose up to three. Fewer promises are easier to keep.
2. My plan for hard moments
Pick the moments most likely to test your promises and decide now what you will do.
3. Who will help me keep it
4. Signatures
To save a PDF, pick Save as PDF as the printer in the print window. What you type stays on this device only.
Teen driver pledge
A pledge for new drivers
For drivers ages 15 to 19, with a parent, coach or mentor as witness.
When people use it
Learner permit day, license day, the start of driver education, or National Teen Driver Safety Week, October 18 to 24, 2026 [5].
What it is for
To set your own rules before friends, phones and late nights test them. Teens 16 to 19 have a fatal crash rate almost three times that of drivers 20 and older [1].
How to make it stick
- Pick a code word that means “come get me, no questions asked,” and save the number of the person who will answer.
- Have a parent or mentor sign as your witness and check in after your first month.
- For limits on night driving and passengers, add our family driving agreement. In a statewide trial, families given a written driving agreement set more limits, and their teens reported less risky driving [11].
My teen driver pledge
I know my first year of driving carries the highest risk of my life on the road. I am choosing these rules for myself, and I will keep them even when no one is watching.
1. My promises
Check every promise you are making.
2. My way out
If I ever feel unsafe as a driver or a passenger, I will call or text for a ride. The person I call promises to help first and talk later.
3. My plan for hard moments
4. Signatures
To save a PDF, pick Save as PDF as the printer in the print window. What you type stays on this device only.
Prom and graduation night
A plan for a big night
For students and their parents or guardians, filled out together the week before.
When people use it
Before prom, homecoming, graduation or any big night out.
What it is for
To settle who drives, how everyone gets home and when to check in, before the night gets busy. Nights carry extra risk: 44% of crash deaths among teens ages 13 to 19 happen between 9 pm and 6 am [1].
How to make it stick
- Fill it out with your parent and the friends you are riding with, so everyone has the same plan.
- Save the backup ride number in every phone in the car.
- Parents: promise a safe ride first and a calm talk the next day, so calling for help never feels risky.
Our prom and graduation night plan
Tonight is about celebrating. This plan makes sure everyone gets home safe to celebrate again tomorrow.
1. Our promises
2. Parent or guardian promise
3. Signatures
To save a PDF, pick Save as PDF as the printer in the print window. What you type stays on this device only.
School, club or community event
A group pledge drive
For teachers, coaches, youth leaders, employers and community groups who want many people to sign at once.
When people use it
National Teen Driver Safety Week (October 18 to 24, 2026), Distracted Driving Awareness Month in April and Global Youth Traffic Safety Month in May [5]. Also before prom, and at health fairs or memorial events.
What it is for
To show that safe driving is the normal choice in your group, collect signatures and send each person home with a reminder.
How to make it stick
- Let students or members lead it. Peer programs are built on young people reaching young people [13].
- Focus each drive on one behavior, like phones or seat belts, instead of a long list.
- Plan a follow up. In one hospital campaign, distracted driving fell from 35% to 13% of drivers right after a pledge drive, then rose to 28% a year later [10]. For more ideas, see 12 pledge event ideas.
Our group safe driving pledge
By signing below, each person makes this promise to themselves and to everyone who shares the road with them.
1. Choose this event’s pledge
Pick one. A single clear promise is easier to remember and keep.
2. Our pledge
3. Sign up
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Five lines show here. The printed sheet has 20 lines. Only collect names and signatures. Do not ask students under 18 for phone numbers, emails or addresses without a parent’s permission.
4. Follow up
To save a PDF, pick Save as PDF as the printer in the print window. What you type stays on this device only.
Workplace driver commitment
A commitment for people who drive for work
For employers, fleet managers and safety leads to sign with each employee who drives on the job.
When people use it
At hiring, before someone first drives for work, at a yearly policy review, or after a crash or near miss.
What it is for
To confirm each driver knows your driving rules and agrees to follow them, in a company vehicle, a rental or their own car. Transportation incidents were the most common cause of work deaths in 2024, and roadway crashes alone killed 1,146 workers [4].
How to make it stick
- Pair it with your written driving policy and have a supervisor sign too. See our guide to a distracted driving policy at work.
- Make support go both ways: no calls, texts or emails that expect an answer while someone is driving.
- Review it every year and after any crash, ticket or license change. OSHA urges employers to set and enforce driver safety policies [14].
Employee driver safety commitment
I drive as part of my job. I understand that safe driving protects me, my coworkers and the public, and I commit to the following every time I drive for work.
1. Vehicles I drive for work
2. My commitments
3. Our commitment to you
4. Signatures
This form records a commitment. It does not replace your written policy. Ask HR or a lawyer to review it before you use it as a policy acknowledgment.
To save a PDF, pick Save as PDF as the printer in the print window. What you type stays on this device only.
Party and holiday ride plan
A sober ride plan for celebrations
For hosts and guests planning before holidays, game days, weddings and New Year’s Eve.
When people use it
Before parties and long weekends, especially the winter holidays. The national holiday enforcement campaign runs December 16, 2026 to January 1, 2027 [5].
What it is for
To decide how everyone gets home before the first drink, while it is still easy to choose. In 2024, crashes involving an alcohol impaired driver killed 11,904 people, about one every 44 minutes [3].
How to make it stick
- Name the sober driver before the party starts, and agree that their plan is final.
- Hosts: serve food and drinks without alcohol, and stop serving alcohol an hour before the end.
- Save a ride service or a friend’s number now. Learn more about alcohol impaired driving.
Our sober ride plan
We want everyone to enjoy this celebration and get home safe. We are making our plan now, before anyone has had a drink.
1. Host promises
2. Guest promises
3. Signatures
To save a PDF, pick Save as PDF as the printer in the print window. What you type stays on this device only.
Older driver and family plan
A plan for driving in the years ahead
For older drivers and the family members or friends they choose, filled out together.
When people use it
Around a milestone birthday or license renewal, after a new health diagnosis or medicine change, or during Older Driver Safety Awareness Week, December 7 to 11, 2026 [5].
What it is for
To agree, while everyone is calm, on how driving will be checked, which signs matter and who will raise them. The driver stays in charge of the plan.
How to make it stick
- Name the people the driver trusts to raise concerns. Many older adults prefer to hear it from family or their doctor [6].
- Look for a pattern of problems, not one bad day [6].
- Plan other ways to get around early, so driving less never means staying home. See our older driver safety guide.
My driving plan for the years ahead
I want to keep driving for as long as I can do it safely. This plan explains how I will keep my skills strong, the signs we will watch for and who I trust to talk with me about it.
1. What I will do
2. Signs we agree to watch for
3. Who I trust to talk with me
4. How we will talk
5. Signatures
To save a PDF, pick Save as PDF as the printer in the print window. What you type stays on this device only.
What makes a pledge work
A signed pledge is a good start. These four habits, drawn from behavior change and traffic safety research, make it far more likely to last.
Make it specific
Promises that say exactly what you will do, and plans that name the moment you will do it, work better than general goals. Across 94 studies, people who made this kind of plan reached their goals more often [7].
Write it down and share it
Making a commitment can change behavior, and it works more often when paired with other tools like reminders and feedback [8]. Signing in front of someone you respect adds a reason to follow through.
Plan the follow up
A pledge drive at one hospital cut distracted driving from 35% to 13% of drivers. A year later it was back up to 28% [10]. In a trial with 1,653 drivers, those who made a commitment and then got weekly goals and friendly competition cut handheld phone use by about 20% compared with drivers who only got safety information. The drop held through the weeks of follow up after the program ended [9].
Bring in someone who cares
In two trials of the Checkpoints program, which is built around a written parent and teen driving agreement, families set more driving limits and teens reported less risky driving [11] [12].
Questions people ask
What is a safe driving pledge?
A safe driving pledge is a short, written promise to drive safely, usually signed and shared with someone you trust. The best pledges name a few specific habits, like keeping your phone out of reach or always wearing a seat belt, and include a plan for the moments that make those habits hard.
Which pledge template should I use?
Use the personal pledge for any driver, the teen driver pledge for new drivers, the prom plan for a big night out, the group pledge drive for schools and events, the workplace commitment for people who drive for work, the party plan for hosts and guests, and the older driver plan for families planning ahead. For house rules between parents and teens, use the family driving agreement.
Do safe driving pledges work?
They can help, especially when they are specific, signed and followed up. Written commitments and specific plans help people follow through [7] [8]. One pledge drive cut distracted driving sharply, but much of the effect faded within a year [10]. That is why each template here includes a check in date or a follow up step.
Is a teen driving pledge the same as a parent and teen driving contract?
No. A teen pledge is the teen’s own short promise, with a parent or mentor as witness. A family driving agreement sets house rules, privileges and what happens when rules are broken. Many families use both. Our family driving agreement covers the house rules.
Can an employer use the workplace commitment as a policy acknowledgment?
It records an employee’s commitment, but it does not replace a written driving policy. Add your policy name and version, and have HR or a lawyer review the form before you use it as an acknowledgment. OSHA urges employers to set and enforce clear driver safety policies [14].
Is what I type saved or sent anywhere?
What you type is saved only in this browser on this device, so you can come back and print later. Nothing is sent to us. To erase it, use Clear this form under the template. On a shared computer, clear the form when you are done.
Sources
- CDC. Risk factors for teen drivers. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, updated August 4, 2025.
- NHTSA. Distracted driving. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
- NHTSA. Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over: Labor Day 2026. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration press release, August 18, 2026.
- BLS. National census of fatal occupational injuries in 2024. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- NHTSA. 2026 traffic safety events calendar. NHTSA Traffic Safety Marketing.
- The Hartford. Family conversations with older drivers. The Hartford Center for Mature Market Excellence.
- Gollwitzer PM, Sheeran P. Implementation intentions and goal achievement: a meta-analysis of effects and processes. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 38, pages 69 to 119, 2006.
- Lokhorst AM, Werner C, Staats H, van Dijk E, Gale JL. Commitment and behavior change: a meta-analysis and critical review of commitment making strategies in environmental research. Environment and Behavior, 45(1), pages 3 to 34, 2013.
- Ebert JF, et al.. A randomized trial of behavioral interventions yielding sustained reductions in distracted driving. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 121(32), e2320603121, 2024.
- Rana N, et al.. An awareness campaign decreases distracted driving among hospital employees at a rural trauma center. Traffic Injury Prevention, 19(sup2), pages S165 to S167, 2018.
- Simons-Morton BG, Hartos JL, Leaf WA, Preusser DF. The effect on teen driving outcomes of the Checkpoints Program in a state-wide trial. Accident Analysis and Prevention, 38(5), pages 907 to 912, 2006.
- Zakrajsek JS, et al.. Effectiveness of a brief parent-directed teen driver safety intervention (Checkpoints) delivered by driver education instructors. Journal of Adolescent Health, 53(1), pages 27 to 33, 2013.
- GHSA. Peer to peer teen traffic safety program guide. Governors Highway Safety Association.
- OSHA. Motor vehicle safety: employers. Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
This page reflects the safety priorities of injury prevention and behavior change research. It is general education, not legal, medical or HR advice. Laws and workplace rules vary, so check yours before you rely on a form. See our disclaimer. Reviewed October 2026.
Help more people make a safe driving promise.
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Recommended reading
Helpful reads for each group
Picked to go with these templates. Start with the column that fits your pledge.
For teens and families
- Safe driving contract between teen driver and parentsSet house rules for phones, passengers, night driving and rides home.
- What to say when driving pressure shows upFor young drivers, in the 15 most common scenarios.
- Is my teen ready to drive alone? A readiness checklist for parentsA checklist to help parents decide when solo driving makes sense.
- Phone setup before driving: set it once, then drive distraction freeSet up a driving mode once, then use a quick routine for maps, music and emergencies.
For schools and organizers
- 12 pledge event ideas for local organizersWays to run a pledge drive at schools, fairs and community events.
- Student led traffic safety campaigns: a peer to peer guide for schoolsHow students can plan and run their own safety campaign.
- Traffic safety events that work: a planning guide for organizersHow to plan an event that changes habits, not just one that draws a crowd.
- National traffic safety campaign materials: how to use them locallyFree campaign materials and how to time them with the national calendar.
For employers
- Workplace motor vehicle safety program: a step by step employer guideHow to build a driving safety program for everyone who drives for work.
- Distracted driving policy at work: a guide for employers and driversWhat a phone and distraction policy should cover and how to roll it out.
- Young workers who drive: how employers can keep new drivers safeExtra steps for employees who are new to driving.
- Personal and rental cars for work: a safety guide for employersWhat to check when employees drive their own or rented cars for work.
For older drivers and families
- Older driver safety: how to keep driving safely and confidentlyPractical ways to keep your driving skills strong as you age.
- Medical conditions and driving: why function, not diagnosis, decidesWhy what you can do matters more than a diagnosis.
- Older and medically at risk driver laws by state: a 2026 guideLicense renewal, vision tests and reporting rules in each state.
- Helping an older adult stay safe and independent after a crashSupport for older adults and families after a crash.
Keep learning
Safe Driving Resource Center
Guides, self-checks and articles for drivers, parents of new drivers, and families recovering after a crash.
