Teaching teens to drive is hard work… and it doesn’t pay either. Not fair!
Driver’s ed is great, but that’s not enough to prepare your teen for the challenges of driving.
If you want your teen to make smart driving decisions, that’s all on you. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
You can expect your child to embody your own driving habits (for better or worse). Here are seven things you need to know about teaching teenagers to drive. #7 is SO important for safety.
1. Freaking out benefits no one.
Your energy affects the people around you. I know that sounds crazy, but it’s totally true.
To test this theory, hang out with a person who’s so angry they want to break something. I bet you’ll start to feel uncomfortable in a hurry…
It’s scary to hand over the keys to a young person who’s never driven a car that wasn’t in a video game. Even so, do your best to stay calm.
If you feel anxious, that feeling will rub off on your teen. It’s hard to retain information when you’re too nervous to think straight. Take a few deep inhales and exhales to calm your nerves.
Think about it from your teen’s perspective. They’ve never driven a car before. How stressful! The more pressure you can remove from the situation, the easier it will be for them to learn. This is about your teen… not you!
2. You must lead by example.
Parents who say one thing and do another aren’t taken seriously.
If you disobey the speed limit and traffic laws, your teenager will follow suit.
If you don’t wear your seat-belt, your teenager will decide that is unimportant.
If you answer texts when you drive, your teenager will become a distracted driver.
Want your teenager to learn safe driving habits? That begins and ends with you. No pressure!
I’ll admit it. Resisting the urge to text and drive is hard… but if you want your teen to focus, you’ve gotta be a good example. Turn your phone off and put it away before you start the car.
3. Slow and steady wins the race.
Teenagers learn better in short, focused bursts.
Don’t overwhelm them with more information than they can comprehend.
Make a list of short-and-sweet driving lessons. Check off one lesson at a time. Examples:
- Park the car
- Fill up the gas tank
- Back out of a driveway
- Parallel park in a tight space
- Put the mirrors in the right place
You might be thinking: “But all of this stuff is so basic! Why not teach them all of it at once?” You think it’s basic, because you’ve been driving for YEARS (but it’s really not). Here’s why…
Pulling out of a driveway requires a long list of steps. First, you disengage the parking brake. Second, you put the car in reverse. Third, you check your mirrors for traffic and pedestrians. Fourth, you hit the gas and turn the steering wheel. Finally, you brake and shift to “Drive.”
All of these actions are automatic for you. There’s no need to even stop and think about them. You just do it. Your teen won’t be able to do that. You’ll need to talk them through every single step of this process until they build confidence and muscle memory. Be patient! It takes a bit.
4. To discourage texting and driving, be proactive.
Teenagers are scatter brained. (Actually that statement applies to most adults, too!)
Understand: most of your teen’s friends expect to receive a response to texts immediately.
Don’t just tell your child, “Texting and driving is bad!” They probably won’t listen to you (especially if you don’t take your own advice). Here’s a better idea…
Encourage your teen to send a short text to any friends who they’re actively engaging with: “Driving! Will respond later.” (Tell them to copy/paste so they don’t have to type it repeatedly.)
Ta-da! Now your teen won’t have to rely on willpower. They have removed the temptation to text and drive. If you have a hard time breaking this habit, feel free to use the exact same tip. It works! For bonus points, silence your phone and put it away before you start to drive.
5. Resist the urge to be overly critical.
No one likes to be told they are “bad” at something. It’s better to focus on the positive.
Instead of criticizing your teen for a lapse in concentration, compliment them when they focus.
Instead of losing your temper when they accidentally break the speed limit, encourage them when they follow it.
Being too critical will cause your teen to become defensive. When that happens, they won’t listen to anything else you have to say.
Here’s a good script for learning moments: “I like how you (insert positive compliment here). It’d be even better if you (insert constructive criticism here).”
6. To prevent car wrecks, point out potential hazards.
According to the CDC, teens are three times more likely to be involved in a traffic accident than any other age group.
That shouldn’t come as a surprise. Driving doesn’t come naturally. You have to get some practice before you’re able to do it well.
Still, you want to shorten the learning curve as much as possible. Mistakes can be lethal. 2,000+ teens die in car wrecks every year. 200,000+ more get injured.
Speeding and distracted driving are two major causes of traffic accidents involving teens. We’ve already covered those in #4 and #5. Let’s discuss one more critical error…
Most teens don’t scan their surroundings for threats. Why? First, it’s difficult to concentrate. Second, they might not be aware of what threats could put their lives in danger. Help them!
Driving in a neighborhood? Ask your teen to look out for stray animals and school buses.
Driving in a city? Teach your teen to look out for potholes, pedestrians, and drivers who run the red light.
Driving on the interstate? Encourage your teen to sustain a safe following distance. Now they’ll have plenty of time to react if a driver swerves or stops suddenly!
Your teenager isn’t a psychic. They can’t watch out for potential threats unless they’re 100% aware of what is dangerous. It’s your duty to help them understand this concept.
7. To improve safety, simulate difficult driving situations.
Do NOT be afraid of asking your teen to drive during stormy weather.
If you only teach your teen to drive in sunny conditions, that’s all they’ll learn how to do.
When they get stuck in a blizzard or downpour, they won’t have a clue how to react. Scary!
Sit in the passenger seat and ask your teen to drive in rain, snow, and darkness. They’ll do a better job when you’re there to talk them through it.
Being thorough now could help your teenager prevent a traffic accident later. Worth the time? Yes! If you agree, share this blog with your friends. They’ll definitely appreciate the advice. Teaching teens to drive isn’t so bad when you have a simple blueprint to follow. 🙂
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