Tips for teaching teen to drive?

[Elephantsarenottheonlyfruit]

My DS has been having professional driving lessons and has reached the stage he is almost ready for test. I’d like to take him out to get some practice. Does anyone having tips on teaching teens to drive, test tips (it’s a long time since I sat mine and the things they test have changed now - like following sat nav!?!) or any pointers on insurance? We have bought a group 1 run around for him. Collecting it tomorrow!

Don’t. Leave it to the professionals - they know exactly what to look/ask for. ‘Normal’ driving is very different to test driving. You’ll have bad habits that you aren’t even aware exist - in real life they’re absolutely fine but could easily cost him on the day.

Even DD’s driving instructor got someone else to teach his own DD to drive - much easier for a teen to take critique/direction from a neutral third party.

DD solely had lessons with her instructor and passed first time - I really do think the whole thing about no private practice = destined for failure is a myth!!

Exactly the opposite to previous poster! We took our daughters out all the time once they were competent, they got so much experience which really helped them.
In Germany and in Australia (other countries may do this too) people have to do lots of hours before they are even allowed a test.

Dont overthink, if your child is ready for their test they’ll know what they are doing

Don't. You will argue and they will pick up your bad habits.

I still remember having a massive argument with my dad while driving and him driving me home while I was in tears and that was over 15 years ago 😂

My DDs only ever had a professional teach them. There was no practice outside of official lessons.

I always said that I would never teach my children to drive because I would prefer that we continued to get on. I never did either. They have all had to have professional lessons, funded by part time jobs.

Not helpful I suppose, but I do remember how awful it was when my dad was teaching me to drive. I hated learning to drive and his quest for perfection nearly finished me off. Many of our arguments were explosive and legendary. I still dislike driving now more than 40 years later.

I suppose if you are going to do it then drive to somewhere quiet the first couple of times so that you can get the measure of each other first in this new relationship. Then decide how feasible it will be.

These comments surprise me. I would want him to be doing as much practise as possible. I remember driving everywhere when I was learning (after some proper lessons to get over the basics).

Don't do it. Leave it to the professional, qualified driving instructor with the dual control vehicle.

Wow. Interesting mixed responses, thank you. His instructor has suggested the extra practice with “private lessons”. His test is next month and he has been learning with weekly professional lessons since September

I taught both of mine to drive from scratch - it’s not difficult to look up what the ‘correct’ way of doing things and teach them that - and then got them some lessons to make sure they were ready to pass the test.

Even then I thought the instructors were a bit rubbish; they didn’t seem to give much instruction and just drove round the local, suburban area. I asked the instructor to help one child with reverse parking, and they only got him to do it once in the lesson.

IMO they need a LOT of time on the road, experiencing different situations and different types of traffic and getting some road sense. I used to get them to drive me everywhere while they were learning.

ETA: I can’t see how you’d be any good from an hour a week unless you spent ages. You wouldn’t expect a child to learn a musical instrument or any other skill without practicing in their own time.

I remember being made to drive everywhere when learning too. My mum and sister would also sometimes be in the back.

It absolutely ruined many days and evenings out. Awful, and although my Dad and I loved each other dearly, it definitely wasn't our finest hour. I couldn't really take to driving naturally and my Dad didn't really get that. Surprisingly, I still somehow managed to pass my test first time and was relieved that he would no longer be teaching me. But he then changed tack. He now switched to "putting miles under your belt", so I never did get a break from it and he was always lecturing me from the passenger seat.

I had a very good professional driving instructor alongside my Dad. The instructor could build my confidence whereas my Dad tended to destroy it. My Dad and I just weren't meant to be in that sort of situation together. I remember wishing that I could just stick with my weekly driving instructor, but my Dad would have none of it.

Ask the driving instructor if you can join them on a lesson. That way you will get the gist of how he's learning with them and also see what hes struggling with

It's seems mad to me that anyone could be allowed to drive solo with only an hour a week of previous driving - which will mostly be on the test route so that's what they'll know how to do. Then next day they're driving on a motorway.

Just take him. Make sure tou have learners insurance and thay the person sitting beside him has a licence. That's it.

Be calm, don't yell "slow down!" or "brake!" or "red light half a mile ahead, slow down already!". Or just don't yell anything really. That's where I went wrong.

I'm surprised by everyone saying it's a bad idea. We let ours drive as often as they could before their tests.

I took both mine out for many many hours each.
I didn't try to teach them anything though, just let them practise what they had learnt in lessons.
Obviously if they were making serious mistakes i pointed it out, but I wasn't there to teach, it was just so they had more driving hours.

Ah , my dad was the same. My instructor told him to his face not to take me out again as it had destroyed my confidence.

Dad s car was huge and powerful as he towed a caravan. Nightmare… even to this day my dad is a terrible passenger but I’m old enough to shut him down.

my DH in comparison took all ours out in practice drives and only once did they fall out

Guess it’s down to your relationship with DCs if it is a good idea or not.

@Elephantsarenottheonlyfruit - my DH is a driving instructor and he says he sees a massive difference between pupils who only ever go out on lessons with him compared to those who get the extra practice in between. If you are brave enough then do it.

This. Your job is too sit there and say nothing.

I was an instructor for 32 years and I say go for it alongside the professional lessons, it can make a world of difference to their confidence and skill levels. I always treated it as a parent/student/ instructor partnership when parents/spouses etc were willing and able to facilitate extra practice. OP their instructor should be willing for you to sit in on a couple of lessons which will be invaluable for you (techniques , terminology etc).
Just a couple of extra tips......give instructions for directions early enough....be prepared to tell them exactly what to do if they have a 'panic' moment.......invest in an extra rear view mirror for yourself and use it....look at the DVSA website....consider buying one of their publications. Good luck

I take my daughter out every single day. There is always a new situation to deal with, even on familiar routes.

Absolutely no substitute for practice and repetition.

when I was learning to drive. Before I went out with mum to practice she went in the backseat on a lesson with my instructor and me. So she knew how I had been learning manoeuvres and to know what I had been learning. We both found it really beneficial. If that’s a possibility I would go out for a spin with DS and his instructor at some point

Blimey, he’s been learning for a long time already. It must have cost a fortune! Both of our ds’s had passed within 5 months of starting lessons.

If he’s test ready, get out with him and let him practice as much as you can. No need to instruct at this stage, just be a second pair of eyes.

our instructor told us when we were able to start taking them out to practice - it was after about 5 lessons. The extra practice definitely helped - the more different situations they come across the better.

Get learners insurance sorted for as soon as you collect the car - it will be pretty reasonable, but will shoot up once he passes and you need to swap it over to full driver’s insurance in his name!

I took all my 4 children out for driving practice when they needed it but they had to be proficient, confident and capable. I took them out at least 3 or 4 times a week and it definitely saved a lot of money.

They all refused to go out with their Dad as he has such a short temper.

The best advice I received was: Never lend your car to anyone you gave birth to!

Surprised at the “don’t” comments, my sons’ instructor recommends doing private practice as opposed to just 1 - 2 hours of lessons a week. My eldest passed first time and his brother has his test in a few weeks. It’s a nightmare getting tests so I want them
to have the best chance and as much practice in the run up as possible.

My husband is much better taking them out than me but my thing is listen to your instructor and do what he says rather than us.

My daughter passed within 2 months of turning 17 as she drove everywhere and work ask all the time to go out and try specific journeys. She had lessons as well. Her test was booked for August (not even there yet!) but her instructor swapped her after a month with someone who wasn’t ready and she passed first time.

The most important thing is to stay calm and only react if there’s an actual danger. I did tell her certain things, like if there were parked cars on the opposite side and someone was going round them, she didn’t leave them a lot of space to swing back onto their side, but other than that it was just reverence and practice.

I'm very surprised at the comments here, most people I know take their kids out to practise alongside their professional driving lessons, our daughter's instructor recommended it!

Go to the same sort of places that they go to in their lessons, start somewhere easy (maybe the local learners' car park the first time) so they can get used to your car each time, be patient, keep your cool. If there's a regular journey you make with them, get them to drive it.

We used Veygo to get an hour or two's learners' insurance each time.