Parental Driver Training

Parental Driver Training

{the word "guide" as used in this blog refers to my upcoming guide to "Parent-Lead Driver Education for Teens"}

Parental Driver Training

Your child has reached an important milestone; a LEARNER’S PERMIT.  It is our hope that acquiring mature driving skills and judgment will be a rewarding experience for you and your teenager.  With your involvement, it can also be a safe experience.  This 40-hour parent/teen driving handbook provides suggestions for in-car lessons to help you guide your child in making this step to adulthood more successful for both of you.

How do you teach a 16-year-old not to be a 16-year-old behind the wheel of an automobile?  Unfortunately, there is no magic formula to prepare your teenager for the responsibilities of driving.  Driver education at its best is a team effort involving schools, communities, students, and families.

Cars do not crash; people crash them. In 2005, 136 Young Drivers (Ages 15-20) were killed and an additional 193 others killed as a result of a crash involving a driver (Ages 15-20) in Georgia. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death of 15 to 20-year olds (based on 2003 figures, which are the latest mortality data currently available from the National Center for Health Statistics).  In 2008, 3,500 15- to 20-year old drivers were killed and an additional 350,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes nationally.

The ability to move a car skillfully is not the same thing as the ability to drive safely.  Steering the vehicle is a relatively simple skill that most people can master in a short period of time.  Driving is a complex task requiring mastery of various performance skills.  It requires processing and accurately evaluating risk in the driving environment, developing appropriate responses to minimize risk, and gaining experience to predict what action others may take.

Research shows that in order for young drivers to remain collision-free, parents must model safe driving behaviors and invest in meaningful guided practice over a long period of time to turn these skills into good driving habits!

If neither parent has a valid driver’s license, a friend or relative can conduct the guided practice sessions.  Because parents and guardians play such a significant role in the development of safe driving habits, parents should remain involved in the learning process as observers in the car during the guided practice sessions.  Knowing your child is a skilled, safety-conscious driver will give you peace of mind in the years to come.

In addition to sharpening your driving skills, it is our hope the guided practice sessions presented in this guide will provide your child with a solid foundation to develop safe, collision-free driving habits that will last a lifetime.  At the end of this technical assistance guide is a 40-hour log to help you keep track of your driving time together.

The Parents’ Role in the Young Driver’s Licensing Process

• Provide their child with at least 50 hours of supervised driving experience with 10 hours at night.

• Control the child’s driving privileges if he or she is not demonstrating responsible behavior.

• Continue to monitor their child’s driving after receipt of their provisional license, reinforce safety

belt use, and limit passengers, cell phone use and other driving distractions.

• Present a positive role model by demonstrating safe driving behaviors.

  

Parent Tips for In-Car Guided Practice Sessions

Parental reinforcement of basic driving skills and good decision-making will lead to safe driving habits that will last a lifetime.

• Enjoy your time together.  Have fun! This is a great “bonding” opportunity.  Focus on the driving

task and leave family issues at home.

• When you drive, set a good example to model.  Always wear your safety belt. Try to correct any

unsafe driving habits that you may have acquired; such as rolling through stop signs, accelerating through yellow lights, exceeding the speed limit. etc.

• If possible, initial instruction should begin in a car with an automatic transmission so that your

child can focus on mastering basic vehicle control maneuvers.

• Select driving environments that complement the lesson objectives and the novice driver’s ability. 

Start in parking lots and progress to quiet neighborhoods.  Stay in a safe, low-risk environment as long as needed and, in the beginning, practice driving routes familiar to your child.

• Check to make sure your child has their Learner’s Permit and insurance information with him or

her when operating a vehicle.

• Explain the objectives of each lesson and review what was learned in the last lesson.

• Feedback should be precise and immediate.  If a mistake is made, repeat the maneuver taking the

driver step by step through the process, and then allow practice without assistance. 

• Be patient, calm, and alert at all times.  Make positive remarks frequently.

• Have short, well-planned practice sessions.  Thirty minutes is the optimum learning period for

beginning drivers.  The first 30 minutes of each one-hour session should be used to introduce and practice the new skills.  Assess the child’s understanding of the lesson objectives during the second half of the session.  Set high standards and evaluate each driving session together.

• In a parking lot, practice steering the car with your left hand from the passenger seat.

• If you have a car with a parking brake between the seats, practice stopping the car by depressing the release button and raising the parking brake.

• To prepare yourself to regain speed control in the event you child panics, practice shifting the

transmission from drive to neutral from the passenger seat. 

• Adjust the mirror on the passenger sun visor so you can use it as a rearview mirror.  If the right

outside mirror is properly adjusted to eliminate blind spot and glare, you can also use that mirror to monitor traffic to the rear from the passenger seat.  (see page 7)

• Keep instructions simple and concise.  First direct where to go, and then state the action to take

(e.g., “At the next intersection, turn right.”)

• Check mirrors and the space to the sides and ahead of the vehicle before giving directions.

• Emphasize driving with a large anticipation zone by looking at least 15-20 seconds ahead.  Play the

“what if game”; what if a car suddenly changes lanes, stops, turns, etc.

• Encourage commentary driving!  This is the most valuable tool you have for checking how your

child is processing driving skills and evaluating the environment.  Ask your child to “read the

traffic picture aloud” describing anything that may affect your path of travel.  For example, when your child changes speed, your child may say: “red light, mirror, ease foot off accelerator and brake.”  Actually, you should hear “mirror and ease off accelerator” a lot!

• Reinforce the fact that a green light means one must scan the intersection before proceeding.

• Encourage your child not to panic when approached by an emergency vehicle and to focus on

looking for a safe area to pull over.  

• Discuss the rules for passing a stopped school bus with flashing lights.

• Encourage new drivers to change their route to avoid making a difficult left turn.

• There is a lot to learn in each lesson, so your child may need extra time to attain adequate skill

proficiency.  Mastery at each level is important before moving on to the next lesson. 

• If possible, integrate night driving into each area of instruction.