How To Turn Your Child Into A Great Driver

The age of 16 is a milestone for teenagers in America and a year of dread for many of their parents. Along with the milestone comes a driver’s license and the beginning of many sleepless nights for moms and dads. As parents, it is our job to teach our children to be safe, competent drivers–both for their safety and the safety of others on the road. Here are steps you can take to make sure that your child can safely share the road with the hundreds of drivers that are already out there.

1. Set Ground Rules

Like with anything else they do in life, children need a set of guidelines to follow from the moment they are handed keys to the car to the second they exit the vehicle. Here are some general rules that should be laid down:

- Seatbelts must be worn by everyone in the vehicle at all times.
- Headphones will not be worn in the car.
- Cell phones will not be used while operating the vehicle.
- Drunk driving is strictly prohibited.
- Driving while tired or fatigued should be avoided.

Along with these basic rules, you may want to establish further guidelines for your child. These guidelines may include during what times of day your child can drive, where your children is permitted to drive and what type of weather your child is permitted to drive in.

2. Practice

Children need hundreds of hours of practice to become competent drivers. This practice should begin before they get their license and continue until you, as their parent, feel comfortable with their driving ability. Their coach should be a person that can maintain their patience and offer positive correction when needed. This person may or may not be a parent. A trusted family friend or relative may be a better option. Whoever teaches your child, make sure that that person obeys the rules of the road and actually teaches your child to drive safely. Driving lessons are never the time to practice “do as I say, not as I do”.

3. Defensive Driving

Defensive driving courses not only teach your child how to drive safely but they can also net you great discounts on auto insurance. Enroll your child into one or more defensive driving courses. These skills are not taught in depth during driver’s education, if at all. Your child will need to have obtained a license before they can be enrolled but defensive driving courses are a fantastic way to learn new skills and sharpen skills that have already been taught.

Parents need to ensure that their children are able to drive independently. For children to learn to drive safely they need to have rules established, participate in supervised driver’s training and, if possible, take defensive driving courses. When parents have made sure that their children are competent drivers they can feel comfortable handing over the keys.

Christopher Jensen is a writer and car enthusiast offering advice on how to compare auto insurance quotes for drivers needing Connecticut auto insurance coverage.

Be Sociable, Share!

•