What Is The Best Way To Teach A Teenager To Drive? Tips For Parents
Teaching your child to drive? If your teen has no driving experience, you may be wondering what the best way is to teach your teen to drive. Where should you start? How do you build their driving skills?
Working with a driving instructor from LTrent Driving School is the best option, of course, but teaching your teen basic safe driving skills before their first lesson is very common. So what should you do when teaching a learner driver? Read on and find out!
1. Make Sure They Understand The Road Rules
Before your teen learns to drive, they’ll need to pass a written driving test to get their Ls. Make sure they study hard, and quiz them about the basics of road rules, even after they pass.
Before they get on the road, it’s important that teen drivers understand how they’re expected to behave while driving, like following speed limits, indicating before turns, and so on.
2. Notify Your Car Insurance About A New Driver
If you haven’t already, you’ll need to notify your insurance company about your teen driving your car. Your premiums will probably increase, but they can’t legally drive your vehicle without being on the insurance policy.
3. Familiarize Them With Basic Car Functions & Layout
Before you teach your teenager to drive, sit them in the car, have them adjust the seat to their comfort, and explain all of the different features of the car. Make sure they understand how to access each one.
Where is the turn signal? How do you turn on the windshield wipers? How do you turn on headlights, high beams, and fog lights? Where are the hazards? Your teenager should be able to quickly respond and take the appropriate action.
4. Head To An Empty Parking Lot To Practice
Next, it’s time for you to sit in the passenger seat for the first time! Head to an empty parking lot, such as a school parking lot on the weekend or after school gets out for the day.
Then, let your teen drive for the first time. Take them through basic manoeuvres like accelerating, turning, braking, reversing, driving in a circle, and so on. Depending on how comfortable your teen is, you can even try advanced manoeuvres like parallel parking.
Your goal here is to make sure your teen understands how the car reacts to them, how to respond to commands, and begins developing an understanding of where their car is in relation to the outside world.
5. Find A Quiet Suburban Or Rural Road For More Practice
Once your teen has mastered the basics of driving in an empty parking lot, they can go onto public roads for the first time. Drive to a sleepy area, put your teen in the driver’s seat, and let them drive.
It will be nerve-wracking at first, but particularly in areas with light vehicle traffic and foot traffic, your teen will quickly adjust and be able to put what they’ve learned into practice and gain more confidence in their skills.
What’s The Next Step? Booking Driving Lessons With LTrent Driving School!
Once your teen starts driving on public roads, it’s important for them to build good driving habits. And working with LTrent Driving School is the best way to make sure they get the expert instruction they need! So don’t wait. Book online now, and see why learner drivers in NSW, VIC, and elsewhere always recommend LTrent Driving School. We also offer the Safer Drivers Course in NSW, for teenagers to develop safe driving techniques and stay safe on the road.