How to Teach a Teen to Drive

By eHow Cars Editor

Rate: (13 Ratings)

Patience and calm are your best friends when teaching a teenager to drive. If you can't handle it, have your spouse, a trusted friend or relative, or a driver-training teacher take on the job.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

Step1
Make sure your teen has a learner's permit, license or any other requirement necessary before beginning driver training.
Step2
Review the rules of the road the teenager learned during the required classroom hours.
Step3
Drive to an empty parking lot or driving course.
Step4
Explain the basic workings of the entire car, inside and out, before letting your teen start the engine. Go over each part and process in detail, including everything under the hood, the dashboard controls, the gas tank, the tires and the emergency equipment. Repeat until you're sure your teenager understands.
Step5
Demonstrate how everything works: the lights, seat belts, windshield wipers, blinkers, horn, emergency lights, transmission, seat adjustment, steering wheel, mirrors and defroster.
Step6
Sit in the passenger seat and have your teen start the engine.
Step7
Point out how acceleration, braking and smooth transmission shifts feel.
Step8
Give corrections, warnings and tips as you make your way around the course, and discuss overall points when you've finished.
Step9
Sprinkle your lesson with what-if scenarios. Cover such possibilities as a child running across the road, traffic signals going out, emergency vehicles pulling up behind, a tire going flat, and so forth.
Step10
Remind your teen that it's important to always have the car's registration and insurance information accessible in the car and to carry a driver's license or permit.
Step11
Note skill improvements and make the course progressively more difficult, finally going out into traffic when you think your teen is ready.
Step12
Practice again and again.

Tips & Warnings

  • For your teen's safety as well as your peace of mind, teach him or her how to change a flat tire before driving alone (see "eHow to Change a Flat Tire').
  • Discuss the dangers of and laws against drinking and driving or using drugs and driving. Also discuss the hazards of driving when tired or when distracted by rowdy passengers, blaring music or difficult weather conditions.

Comments

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Anonymous

Anonymous said

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on 8/8/2006 I was driving at night with both my mother and father in the car on a curved, rural road. My father was in the front, so he could see where we were going, but my mother was in the back, so her view was limited. During much of the drive, she was saying "slow down, you are going too fast". Although it was night, it was clear, the roads were dry, and there was no traffic, and I was going the limit.

Now, if you have a very good reason ( "I'm nervous" is not a good reason). Make this reason very clear as well, you could say, for instance, 'there is a sharp curve up ahead', or 'there is a hidden entrance'.

Anonymous

Anonymous said

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on 11/22/2005 I went through 3 months of driver's ed and countless hours with a license/car/freedom in general in my mind, only to fail my final driver's course test. Parents, please give you kids the opportunity to learn and gain experience on the road. Most states have graduated licenses now - to get your license six months from your permit, your teen needs about 20 minutes of driving practice each day!

Anonymous

Anonymous said

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on 11/22/2005 Don't forget to inform them of what grade of gas (not diesel fuel) to use. And make sure that they know how to open the gas door with the lever inside the car next to the driver's seat. This may save you from leaving home when you're ready to go to bed.

Anonymous

Anonymous said

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on 8/8/2006 When taking the road test with the State cop, make sure you stop whenever you come to the end of a street where you can go left or right, even if there is no stop sign. I went for my road test last week and failed because I yielded and didn't fully stop.

Anonymous

Anonymous said

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on 8/8/2006 I am always nervous when driving in traffic, so hearing someone use imperative (command) words when simply conversing makes me nervous, especially if someone starts talking with a word like "stop", "wait", or any other strong, driving related, command.

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eHow Article:  How to Teach a Teen to Drive

eHow Cars Editor

eHow Cars Editor

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