to teach my teenager to drive? Rescources?

[Hedgehogscanclimbtrees]

I am horrified at the price of driving lessons - where I live I'm being quoted £38 per lesson (50 mins), and I hear they need 40 odd lessons!!! I have three teenagers so multiply all costs x 3!

I realise they will obviously need some lessons (also we have an automatic and I'd like my kids to get a manual licence) but I'm thinking of taking on some of the teaching. I know it can be stressful and might not work, but I'd like to try. My question is this: Are there any good resources out there that will show me how to teach 'correctly'. I've been driving for years but I know things have changed and they need to cover a specific syllabus.
Any good books? online tutorials? You tube advice? (for the PRACTICAL - not the theory, which is already done)

@Londongal123 that's not going to do them any favours with driving a manual

I don't understand. What do you mean by this? I've been driving since I was 16 and have never driven a manual and it's NEVER been an issue. What benefit does driving a manual have when in 10 years most manuals will be off the road anyway.

My dc’s instructor sends her links to YouTube to watch to firm up what she does eg roundabouts. She has 1 instructor lesson a week and goes out with me too. I swapped my car to one that was suitable for us both and insured her on it as a learner it was cheaper than I thought.

My dc is learning in an auto due to physical disability. Auto lessons are harder to find and more expensive.

All the teens in dc’s school are learning manual just her and her friend in auto (mine can’t do manual due to physical disability and her friend was told to switch by instructor - suspected dyspraxia) Even if end up driving electric auto having a manual licence still seems to be the done thing.

@Londongal123 OP said she wants them to pass in a manual

Mine is having automatic lessons only. We've not had manual cats for years and they are not even selling them after 2030.

Ds1 passed last year after missing out learning to drive when he turned 17 in lockdown. There are lots of driving instructors on YouTube who talk through the mechanics of the car, clutch control and how to never stall, handbrake, hill starts, mirror position to get the best view etc. All the theory of how to drive is readily available for free. I can highly recommend DNG Driving, Ashley Neal, Clearview and Conquer Driving. They feature lessons too so you can learn from their students. See which ones you like the best. I also found it refreshing to know I was still being safe and the instructors pointing out things like never overtake when there is a junction on the right. Ashley Neal does Learning Points from dash cams.

Then watch these same instructors (mainly Clearview and DGN) who provide mock tests and talk through what they are doing right and what they should be doing if they don't do it right, from mirror checking, lane position etc. Also watch Ruby Dashcam for seeing where there are either near misses of drivers or actual hits, this shows them where to look for danger, mainly roundabouts, junctions for bad emerge and overtaking on country lanes.

Ds's driving instructor has been teaching for 25 years and said Ds is the best student he has ever had as he came to the lessons completely prepared with prior knowledge.

Once Ds had had about 12 hours of lessons his instructor said he was fine to be in a car with me so both myself and Dh took him out in my car. He drove literally hundreds of miles and we were just a second pair of eyes and basically finessed his driving. He passed first time but the wait for the actual test was very long I believe 5 months but he managed to get a cancellation. Get the theory test booked as soon as possible, the wait for this was several weeks too. Again, lots of practise tests online which help you learn the rules of the road rather than just reading the highway code.

Driving instructors are worth it, get them started with them, then you just reinforce their lessons. I can drive safely but I am not an instructor.

Ds(19) learned at 17. Started lessons straight after 17th birthday. Once he had 4 x 1hr lessons (in petrol mini) I started taking him out in our Diesel focus estate too. To begin with we went in industrial estate, then the quiet roads he had done with his instructor, but quickly he was driving me to supermarket, to the football, or he would drive when I was taking him to meet with his friends/picking him up after etc.

He was fine switching between the two cars, if anything it taught him how to get the feel of driving and responding to each car better.

He had 23 x 1hr lessons in all before passing, and plenty of road experience in between. He could have passed sooner if he could have gotten an earlier test date. Most of his friends had around the same number of lessons but lots of practice.

Some places will do a dual control hire car for 1-2hr slots. If you have someone willing to let them learn in their manual car you can get insurance by the hour with companies such as veygo.

I disagree with almost everyone! What is all this assumption that parents teaching will automatically be out of date? Nonsense. Or rather not necessarily. If you don't want to teach your child or don't have the bollocks for it, absolutely fine, but don't put of others off who wish to.

My father taught me, a few lessons later I passed, many years ago. Same with Dh.

Dh taught ds1 last year. Like my dad did took me to the middle of nowhere and taught clutch control, handling the car generally. Changing gear. Then I took him. we took him to a massive car park. Taught him how to park. Then put on a road, round the roundabout and back to the carpark. We did hill starts. Then he had lessons. We carried on practicing twice a week, once with me, once with Dh. Instructor said he was lovely little driver, calm. Passed his test 1st time.

Most test centres have videos of all the standard routes. We watched them before, then drove them over the weeks leading up to the test, and also the day before the test.

All these things are available.

I would not recommend switching from an automatic from a manual. I’m an automatic driving instructor and I charge £50.00 for 1 hour. Most of my learners have come to me after struggling with relatives and other instructors hence the premium price I charge as I am part time and offer a more individual approach than weekly lessons. I have instructed both my kids in a manual car with no duals and it was not easy however they both passed at 17 and a half years old within 6 months of starting. My advice pay for lessons to get them started usually 10 hours then take them out in your car but swapping from manual to automatic will likely do more harm than good so invest in a manual car. Good luck 🤞

So you’re suggesting that the OP buys a manual car just to teach her DC? That is not necessary.

OP said her kids want to learn manual and she has an automatic and she doesn’t want to pay for lessons! I bought a manual for my kids to learn in as I only have an automatic. Of course whatever OP deems necessary for her kids is fine I am just offering my opinion based on my experience. Like another poster has said you can hire manual dual control cars by the hour now which is also an option however investing in a manual car was more cost effective for me and my two kids and with three kids like OP it might work out cheaper.

My teens have worked jobs at a well known fast food place to pay for their lessons. They had 10 lessons given by us on their 17th birthday the rest they have paid themselves. At this age they need to be paying their way

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/national-standard-for-driving-cars-and-light-vans-category-b

all you need to know