Beginner's Guide Teaching Your Teen to Drive

Teaching your teen to drive can be an overwhelming experience. Many parents assume that the driver's education classes will teach teens everything that they need to know to drive. Teens will learn a great deal in these classes. However, teaching your teen to drive will strengthen driving skills and make the teen driver safer on the roads. An estimated 5,000 teens die annually in car wrecks. Being an active parent in teaching your teen to drive could save lives.

Topics to Discuss Prior to Getting on the Road

Part of teaching your teen to drive is to discuss important issues before ever getting in the car to drive. Discuss with teens the importance of never drinking and driving. Provide teens with other alternatives such as taxi rides, designated drivers and calling home. Teens follow the example of parents. Teaching the teen to not drink and drive requires parents to set the same example.

Teens need to make sure that they have their seat belts buckled. All passengers need to have seat belts buckled. Many states have seat buckle laws. Again, it is important for parents to set an example and to wear their seat belts at all times in the car. When teaching the teen to drive instruct them never turn a car on until everyone has on a seat belt.

Before getting behind the wheel teach your teen the importance of being alert. If the teen is tired or has had medications an alternative plan needs to be set up for the teen.

Making Good Use of Driving Time

Allow the teen to indicate the desire to drive. Putting a teen behind the wheel that does not want to learn to drive can be dangerous and frustrating.

Ask questions instead of bellowing orders to teens. Questions will make the teen more aware of the surroundings. Instead of telling the teen that they are driving too slow or fast, ask them what the speed limit is.