6 tips for teaching a teenager to drive
One of the best ways to make your teen a better driver is to make yourself a better driving coach.
Key Takeaways
- Staying calm and positive is one of the most effective things a driving coach can do. Praise your teen's good decisions, avoid overreacting to mistakes, and model composure so your teen learns to stay cool under pressure on the road.
- Structure each driving session around specific skills, starting with basic maneuvers and gradually progressing to more complex scenarios like highway driving, nighttime driving, and bad weather conditions.
- Vary the routes for your teen so your teen gains experience in unfamiliar situations.
- Teens learn driving habits by watching their parents, so model the road behaviors you expect, including following speed limits, avoiding phone use, and obeying traffic signs.
1. Keep your cool
It's simple, support and positive reinforcement go a long way. Praise your teen when they practice good judgment and avoid overreacting to mistakes. Try not to say things like “you're going to get us killed!” Instead, model a calm demeanor—it will set a good example for your teen so they remain cool in the car under pressure.
2. Plan out your drives ahead of time
Planning is everything. And since teens need to log a specific number of practice hours behind the wheel, you'll want to make sure you put together a program that helps them meet their goals.
The best thing you can do is focus on certain skills for each driving session, starting with beginner skills and move up to more complex scenarios as your teen's skills improve, such as highway, nighttime, or bad weather driving. Don't focus only on your family's routine routes. Mix it up and include new places so your teen driver can get used to navigating all types of driving situations.
3. Set a good example
Teens watch and learn from their parents, so it's important to model good driving behavior and follow the rules of the road. Always keep your own behaviors in mind to avoid establishing and reinforcing bad behaviors behind the wheel for inexperienced teen drivers.
4. Don't bring up outside issues while your teen is driving
While it can be tempting to use this “alone time” with your teen to discuss other matters, keep the car conversation limited to the task at hand: improving your teen's understanding of the road. Table any other topics, like their school grades or family issues, for later and encourage them to remain focused.
5. Follow the rules of the road
Drivers education programs vary depending on location, but in general, every state implements a three-stage system so teens graduate from a learner's permit, to a provisional license, and finally to an unrestricted license. Each stage grants teens more privileges, like nighttime driving or driving with friends.
6. Incorporate driving simulators
There are a variety of tools and resources available to help you. Using web-based driving simulators and materials can significantly improve your teen's driving performance. Online simulators and safety courses not only give teens more practice time behind the wheel, but they also allow them to hone in on specific skills like merging and changing lanes.
Written by Kathryn Messer
Kathryn Messer is an insurance and financial services copywriter with more than 25 years of hands on industry experience. A fully licensed P&C and Life & Health broker, she has worked as an independent agency owner, commercial risk manager, and financial and investment adviser. She holds CIC, CPCU, CFP, and LUTC designations. Her writing is grounded in real world knowledge of insurance operations, regulatory complexity, P&C claims, insurance technology, and sales—giving clients a true subject matter expert with no learning curve.