4 Tips for Parents of Young Aspiring Drivers
Seeing your child get their provisional license or hitting the road for the first time can be both exciting and stressful for a parent. You want your child to be as safe as possible out there both for their sake and the sake of the public. You may be even more worried if they’re using a family vehicle. If your goal is to make them safe drivers and keep your property in one piece, here are some tips for parents of young aspiring drivers.
Practice with Them as Much as You Can
You could decide to have your child spend all their driving time with their driving instructor, but you should try to make the effort to practice as much as you can with them. The more practice they get, the better they’ll eventually get, and the better you’ll feel when they start hitting the road.
You should know, however, that they’ll need to get additional insurance if they’re going to be using your main vehicle. Thankfully, you can get cheap learner insurance online by using a comparison site. These sites don’t only allow you to compare cheap learner insurance policies, but also get your cover right on the spot, so visit one today and check how much you can expect to pay for your vehicle.
Watch Your Tone when Driving with Them
Take baby steps when first training your child, and use a calm, soothing voice when giving them instructions. They are more likely to react properly if you do this instead of shouting whenever an obstacle or a car is cutting them off on the street. You should also try to praise them as much as you can, and if they make mistakes, try to correct them constructively and remind them that everyone was a learner driver once.
Get the Right Car
If you intend to get your child their own car after they get their license, you should start looking at different options today and be very careful with your choice. One of the mistakes a lot of people make here is getting their child a hatchback or a compact car as their first vehicle. This may look like a good choice at first glance, but these vehicles do not provide as much protection in collisions, and they make bad choices for new drivers as a result. Instead, consider going for a saloon with a stellar security record. Not only will it have better shock protection, but it will have better safety features and will probably handle much more precisely as well.
Consider Putting a “New Driver” Decal on the Car
It would also be a good idea to put a decal on the back of the car to identify that the driver is new at driving. Studies show that people are more cautious around new drivers. These are all things that will help you raise safer drivers and have more peace of mind when your child hits the road. Remember to clock as many hours of practice with them as you can and give them all the tools necessary to be responsible on the road.
Things like how to hold the steering wheel, how to look far ahead, and how to maintain safe distances while driving are all vital skills that must be mastered. Parents must remember that whatever driving training is given ain school must be augmented by real-world practice, either with a professional driving teacher or with the parents.
Ultimately it is the parents’ responsibility, especially given that your kids are on your insurance policy and any incidents will be costly if it triggers an insurance claim or points on their driver’s license. Your young aspiring drivers are often eager to learn, but it takes a great deal of practice to learn the basic skillset to remain safe and become committed to obtain the situational awareness needed on today’s roads.
Collectively, these tips for parents should help give young drivers the proper foundation for being safe drivers. The last thing we want to happen is for kids to end up in an accident or partaking in illegal street racers. Parents need to teach their young aspiring drivers to operate a motor vehicle safely.
Once they master the basics and have a couple of years of driving experience, you might consider sending your young aspiring drivers to a performance driving school. These schools teach car control, so it’s not about learning how to race, it’s more about car control. Schools like this one offer performance driving and car control clinics.
- Be careful with directions. …
- Be constantly aware. …
- Correct by asking questions. …
- Let your teen take the initiative. …
- Plan ahead. …
- Remember you are the coach. …
- Set a good example. …
- Start off in daylight and good weather.
Talking is important, but action is even better. Show your kids safe driving behavior. Start by modeling good habits any time you drive them anywhere, even before they begin to drive. Make sure you, yourself, are turning off your cell phone and stowing it away, and buckling your seat belt before starting your car.