Tips for teaching a teen to drive

[Anonymous]

How long did it take to teach your teen to drive? How did you teach them? Any tips would be appreciated.

[Anonymous]

I assume this is supplementing other instruction - whether private driver's ed or thru public school.

Consider carefully a safe logical location - you might want to ask other parents in your neighborhood. For us it was the community college parking lot - far away from parked cars and after hours. After 6 or so lessons there, we started at a broad, infrequently traveled neighborhood street.

Much, much later is any driving where you might encounter other cars. And oh, when you get to the point where the young driver is making any turns, do all right hand turns - easier and safer than left hand turns.

[Anonymous]

Thank you for the tips. Yes this will be in addition to driver's ed offered thru the public schools and possibly in addition to private driver's ed too.

He just got his learner's so we're starting to work on getting in the driving hours that he needs.

So far we've had 5 or 6 lessons in various parking lots. And he's driven around a couple of times on our quiet neighborhood streets. Very few cars. How soon did you attempt a road with traffic?

We're taking this slowly.

[Anonymous]

Nothing beats getting on the road and paying attention to your speed, signs, traffic lights, cars, pedestrians, etc. My advice is to just get on the road. Pick a time when there is very little traffic, like 6am on a saturday morning.

[Anonymous]

I had DD16 start in the RFK parking lot. We did that for about 2-3 weeks. We then progressed to our neighborhood streets (just stopping, making turns, etc). After about 2 weeks of that, I let her drive throughout the city(DC). She did that for another 3 weeks. Finally, I let her on the B/W parkway, and then 395 (we've only gone to Pentagon City Mall). Last night we started working on parallel parking (that brought her to tears)! She doesn't get her license for another few months.

When I was growing up, we didn't have a formal driving class (only the book stuff), so my father taught me and my sisters. I don't see why I can't teach my DD.

[Anonymous]

For those whose kids took behind the wheel in school...

Did they practice first and then take behind the wheel training? Or did they take behind the wheel and practice afterwards to get all of their driving hours in?

[Anonymous]

Patience, patience, patience, patience.

I'm learning to drive stick at the age of 30. It feels like I'm back to being a teenager learning to drive for the first time. Wow, you want to talk about giving perspective - I made the comment that any parent who doesn't know how to drive manual should have to learn right before teaching their kid to drive, it will give you unlimited patience!

That's not that helpful in terms of actual advice, but just remember - this is possibly one of the scariest things the kid has done! There is likely some level of physical reaction (elevated heart rate, adrenaline, etc) in addition to feeling like you have so much to remember, are driving a death machine, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thank you for the tips. Yes this will be in addition to driver's ed offered thru the public schools and possibly in addition to private driver's ed too.

He just got his learner's so we're starting to work on getting in the driving hours that he needs.

So far we've had 5 or 6 lessons in various parking lots. And he's driven around a couple of times on our quiet neighborhood streets. Very few cars. How soon did you attempt a road with traffic?

We're taking this slowly.

I'm not there yet, teaching my kid, but I clearly remember being stunned that my driver's ed teacher took me out onto Route 29 the second day of driving practice!

And I did fine.

When you get to that point, you might consider the ICC, since it's a real highway, with very minimal traffic. Easy traffic light exit ramps instead of tight merges. Or something similar.

This State Farm website has some tips on how to teach a teen to drive, and focuses on hazard avoidance. How to scan for hazards is probably number one. Slowing when approaching a pedestrian cross walk, what to do when making a left turn in front of opposing traffic, how to accelerate sufficiently in highway merges, what to do if there is no merge lane, etc. It also suggests driving at night and in inclement weather to practice. Better to do so with you than to face it alone.

http://teendriving.statefarm.com

[Anonymous]

I took my DD to an empty parking lot a few times to practice before she got her learner's permit, but while she was in driver's ed. She was able to get a good feel for the car on the road. She would practice reversing, turning, parking in a spot and parallel parking. Once she got her permit she was on the road (we live in DC) the same day. From that time until she got her provisional license she was the one behind the wheel every time we got in the car. DC requires 40 hours of daytime driving and 10 hours of nighttime driving before getting the provisional license and she easily got that during those 6 months. Now granted, she was generally driving the same roads each day in the beginning. We took our time before she went on the highway or really busy roads. However, the only way they will get experience and comfortable is to actually be behind the wheel. They could attend a 1000 lessons and hear people tell them what to do, but nothing will be the same as actually doing the driving.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I assume this is supplementing other instruction - whether private driver's ed or thru public school.

Consider carefully a safe logical location - you might want to ask other parents in your neighborhood. For us it was the community college parking lot - far away from parked cars and after hours. After 6 or so lessons there, we started at a broad, infrequently traveled neighborhood street.

Much, much later is any driving where you might encounter other cars. And oh, when you get to the point where the young driver is making any turns, do all right hand turns - easier and safer than left hand turns.

Wow. The first time my dad took me driving it was in the parking lot of an industrial parking lot on a weekend. Then he had me drive home from there. Tips that helped me: my comfort speed was 35mph, white lights mean reverse, and when you're going into a turn you don't give the car has until you're halfway through it. Oh and also, my dad drewe a picture of a car with lines showing the sight views each mirror gave me, and that really helped me understand where the blind spots are so I knew where to look when i turned my head.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thank you for the tips. Yes this will be in addition to driver's ed offered thru the public schools and possibly in addition to private driver's ed too.

He just got his learner's so we're starting to work on getting in the driving hours that he needs.

So far we've had 5 or 6 lessons in various parking lots. And he's driven around a couple of times on our quiet neighborhood streets. Very few cars. How soon did you attempt a road with traffic?

We're taking this slowly.

I'm not there yet, teaching my kid, but I clearly remember being stunned that my driver's ed teacher took me out onto Route 29 the second day of driving practice!

And I did fine.

When you get to that point, you might consider the ICC, since it's a real highway, with very minimal traffic. Easy traffic light exit ramps instead of tight merges. Or something similar.

This State Farm website has some tips on how to teach a teen to drive, and focuses on hazard avoidance. How to scan for hazards is probably number one. Slowing when approaching a pedestrian cross walk, what to do when making a left turn in front of opposing traffic, how to accelerate sufficiently in highway merges, what to do if there is no merge lane, etc. It also suggests driving at night and in inclement weather to practice. Better to do so with you than to face it alone.

http://teendriving.statefarm.com

ICC is a GREAT idea that never occurred to me! We live not too far from it and never use it or even think of it, like most people. But that's exactly why it's ideal for practicing highway driving... because there's no other traffic. Thanks for the idea!

[Anonymous]

Get them on a highway, without traffic at first. My DC did everything but and now five years later has yet to drive on a highway.

[Anonymous]

I did it kind of backwards.. I put her into a behind the wheel class with an instructor before I EVER got in the car with her. After a few lessons w the instructor I took her to parking lots and side streets. She picked up very quickly and had a lot more confidence. She was driving on the beltway and into Georgetown on this weekends after a month with me/ and the driving instructor combo. DH was terrified to drive w her and is still stressed to drive w her ( she is now 18 and has had her license for over a year!). I think the biggest thing is to instill confidence and that is half the battle! Good luck!