PARENTS GUIDE FOR TEENAGER DRIVING
Learning to drive is a major turning point in a teenager’s life. It’s a means
of freedom and transportation. A time when your teenager no longer has to rely on you to
get everywhere. This time is also a major turning point for you as a parent. You are
letting your child go as he or she starts to enter adulthood. It is a time that’s
filled with dangers and decision making for both you (deciding when to let your teenager
drive alone) and your child. The cost of driving, the risks and the pressures are just a
few of the things that parents have to think about. You care the most about your
child’s safety and driving ability.
This guide is designed to help you in the process of continuing the education of your
child for behind-the-wheel-driving. This guide will help you follow-up on the basic
driving skills that are learned in Advanced Driving Schools, Inc. ("ADS"),
classes so you can help your teenager develop defensive driving skills and safe driving
habits. Please remember that completing the ADS basic driver training and even having a
full driver license is not the end of learning how to drive. The first year a teenager is
licensed is critical to shaping safe habits, the correct attitude and good driving skills.
Learning to drive is a skill which must be learned and reinforced. Your teenager’s
driving skills should not be learned through observation of other drivers, but through the
instruction of ADS and the driving examples of you and our instructors. "Do as I say,
not as I do," usually does not work and creates a bad learning environment.
On the Road
Many tragic accidents have resulted from parents unwittingly allowing their teenagers
to get into driving situations with which they cannot cope. Often the beginner driver may
appear confident and in control but, in reality, your teenager may be "just getting
by." As a result, when something unusual happens or a sudden change in the road
condition occurs your teenager may panic. Your child’s basic driving skills need to
be honed in preparation of these unusual situations. As you ride or drive with your child,
point out possible situations.
Passing the ADS and State of Tennessee Written and Driving Tests
The ADS basic driver education course only covers the basic driving skills.
Passing basic driver education does not mean a teenager is ready to handle all driving
situations he or she will experience. Basic driver education provides the groundwork for
teenagers to learn more advanced skills. ADS offers other, more advanced, classes for the
intermediate driver as well as for the experienced driver. The ADS basic driver education
course is a prerequisite to registering for the more advanced driver courses offered by
ADS.
After your Teenager is Fully-Licensed
Many novice drivers (drivers with 1-2 years of experience) are left to themselves once
they obtain a full license to drive. This is a big mistake. Teenagers still only
have basic driving skills after 1-2 years of experience. Many teenagers equate the basic
operation of a vehicle with good driving skills. While leaving them alone to learn from
the driving environment (better known as the "crash and burn" teaching theory to
driver training), may often seem to work, the driving environment can be a very harsh and
deadly teacher. Without continuing driver education, reinforcement and supervision, the
novice driver can become a driver with a mass of bad driving habits. The teenage driver
may not get away with these bad habits as easily as a more experienced driver.
Don’t allow your teenager full driving privileges right after getting a license.
The first year of driving is a high risk time period for the beginner driver.
Inexperience, combined with lack of skills, means that one-in-five male 16 year old
drivers and about one-in-ten females will have an accident during their first year of
driving.
Statistics show another peak in risk after eighteen months to two years of driving when
increased skills and experience may lead to over-confidence. You will need to be watching
for potential bad habits. Bad habits may "creep-in" soon after licensing and, if
allowed to continue, may lead to accidents.
Defensive Driving Techniques
Being a good defensive driver is more than just being cautious. The good defensive
driver must work at developing, continuing and maintaining good driving habits and
skills.
Managing Space and Time
The concept of space and time is critical to safe driving. Teenage drivers must allow
enough road space to maneuver a vehicle and time to react to driving situations.
The "Three Second Rule"
The "three second rule" provides a safer following distance from a moving car
at speeds up to approximately 50 mph. By noting when the trunk of the car in front of you
has passed a fixed point and counting ("one-thousand, two-thousand; etc.) so that the
front of your car reaches the same fixed point no sooner than three seconds will provide a
minimum safe following distance. This skill can be practiced whether your teenager
is driving or riding in the passenger seat and will help develop a "sense" of
what a minimum safe distance is. When on the expressway, a minimum of 4 seconds’
distance is recommended. Even more distance is needed on wet roads or where there is less
traction. Drivers should look at least 12 seconds ahead of the car at all times, scanning
the scene ahead (including both sides of the road) and making adjustments in speed and
position as relates to other vehicles, pedestrians or road hazards.
Verbalizing Conditions While Driving
Asking your teenager to do a running commentary on what hazards or factors they see
while driving can be helpful. In other words, have your teenager narrate the driving
conditions as they occur. ("Red light ahead," "car turning left in front of
me," "pedestrian in cross-walk," etc.) This works very well for the new
driver and lets you know if your teenager is seeing and anticipating what is ahead of or
behind your car. When you first practice this exercise, it is best to have the new driver
only state one or two conditions per trip, such as speed limit signs and traffic lights.
Attitude
Attitude determines how knowledge and skills will be used. Attitudes also determine
whether a driver will be cooperative or competitive in traffic and whether your teenager
will take risks or put into practice the concepts taught by ADS. Attitude is one major
element in defensive driving and the most difficult element to influence.
Planning Practice Routes
It’s important to plan your practice times. Try to decide ahead of time what your
teenager’s driving practice route will be. When planning the practice route, consider
time of day as well as the traffic flow. If your child is a novice, it is best to practice
first in a large parking lot. When you are satisfied that your child can handle the car,
then you can move on to more demanding routes.
The Basic Driving Skills
Emphasize the coordination of hands and feet. Most beginner drivers tend to drive with
just the hands or feet and not in concert with each other. This can lead to serious
problems on the street. A new driver may freeze on the gas pedal while trying to steer
around a corner. Once your teenager begins driving on the streets, accurate lane position
and driving signals are important because they tell other drivers what to expect and helps
maintain good traffic flow. It is important to make teenagers realize that change in
speed, as well as direction, affects the reactions of other drivers just as much as turn
signals.
Practice Hints
