In order to be a practical person and gain a good amount of freedom, most of us understand the need for driving lessons. It’s a good rite of passage for many people, and the first day you are qualified, owning a set of wheels or not, is a day of pride. For some it comes younger, for some, older. It’s likely going to be the case that you wish your teenager is able to drive almost as soon as they are able.
But then, as a mother or father, you might feel conflicted. Of course, your child growing and gaining new practical skills is a wonderful thing. But the idea of them driving around main roads in a one-tonne hunk of metal and glass? It can feel a little off-putting. Of course, we know that our children should be given the chance to learn how to drive, and that feeling must be suppressed. But you may also decide to exercise some smaller caring measures to ensure your child understands road safety and remains as careful as you are:
Search For A Great Instructor
It’s important to find a great instructor for your child, or at least it’s important to help them find one. Checking reviews online, reading testimonials, and asking around your friendship or peer group to see how certain experiences have gone for their children can help settle your mind. After all, while driving instructors are heavily accredited, sometimes the personality is just as important as their teaching style. Of course, you shouldn’t focus on someone who is overfriendly because your child isn’t looking for a lifelong friend here, nor should you focus on someone who disciplines too much or not at all. It’s best to go with someone who is firm, fair and upfront. It might be that you wish to meet them, but most instructors allow for an introductory trial session for cheap, and your child will know if they would like to continue or not. When you know that your child is in safe hands, you feel much better about things.
Enforcing Expectations
When your child begins to drive, they will start to feel very excited about the freedom they find. When they pass the test, they may have promised rides to their friends. This freedom can lead to some real difficulty. Be sure they have a curfew to prevent them from staying out too late. Ensure they only drive friends if they’re willing to pay for fuel can also prevent them from being taken advantage of.
It’s also impossible to lay down the law in some respects. Your child might be incredibly sensible, but it’s still worth mentioning. If they ever drive drunk, you will suspend their rights to the vehicle. They must also be very hesitant about being a designated driver, and also set essential ground rules within their car to ensure the space is respected and their driving is unimpeded. Just to be certain, it’s important to have the contact information of Gray and White Law personal injury attorneys just in case something does come up.
Help Them Practice
If you have a quiet road near you, it can be worthwhile to help them practice the simple matters of driving. Starting the vehicle, conducting mirror checks, and simply getting used to driving around can be worthwhile. But remember, you should try and avoid coaching them too much, because what you have to say might be opposite to what the instructor is telling them, and they might pick up some bad habits. Still, in an environment with little to no cars, you can help them get some much-needed practice in. Just remember that you have no control over the direction of the car as you haven’t a specialized second set of pedals to control speed as an instructor has.
Heading to a countryside road where cars come along perhaps once every five minutes at most can be worthwhile, but ensure it’s a road you are deeply familiar with. This way you can address hazards and can, for the most part, guarantee you won’t interrupt anyone elses driving experience. Also, you might have to be much more patient than you think. It takes time to learn to drive, and you might have forgotten that in your years of experience.
With this advice, we hope you are able to feel a little more settled when your teenager begins their driving lessons.
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