8 Tips on Teaching Your Kid How to Drive

I was just having a conversation with a friend at work who is going through the process of teaching his son how to drive.

As a parent, this can be a very stressful process. Not only are you dealing with your child "growing up," but there is actual risk involved in letting your teenager take control of a moving vehicle.

So where do you start? Here are some tips that I've learned as we've taught our first two sons how to drive. I have one more coming in about six months, so I'll let you know if this is all hogwash. However, the following have seemed to work well for us with son #1 and son #2.

1.  Have a plan.  Don't just get in the car, throw your kid the keys and "wing it." Think about all the skills you want your student to have to be a safe driver. The outcome you are shooting for is to train your young person to be a safe, smart driver that is developing good habits. Your plan should include understanding your state's requirements for getting a drivers license as well as professional drivers education (whether it is required by law or not).

2.  Know your own limits. I'm a control freak. I have to drive when I'm in the car. It is even difficult for me to let my wife drive...and she is a great driver. You have to be aware of your own limits before you can begin to teach your child how to drive. Otherwise, your stress and "need to control" will make it a horrible learning experience for the student. Believe me, I'm guilty of this. That's why my wife will often take the boys out on the road earlier. She's more comfortable letting another person drive. It's not stress free for her, but she's better equipped at it than I am to handle this stage.

3.  Start slow. Needless to say, but start slow. I mean, really slow. Don't even leave the driveway on your first trip out. Cars are complicated vehicles and they take a great deal of fine motor skills and cognitive thinking to operate. For someone like me, who has driven for more than 25 years, those are skills that I take for granted. Take an hour and go over the "ins and outs" of your vehicle with your student. I even make my sons take the time to put the spare tire on the vehicle that they are going to drive, so they know how to do it in an emergency. I don't want them changing a spare for the first time on a busy highway in the rain. How do you adjust the mirrors? The seats? How do you work the signals? The emergency break? The transmission? Where are the blind spots? These are all things you probably want to talk about first, rather than finding out while the vehicle is moving.

4.  Find a nice big parking lot. This was a big "a ha" moment for me. I've found that almost every fine motor skill your young person needs to learn about operating a car (outside of controlling speed) can be learned in a big, empty parking lot. Find a lot that works for you. Have your student apply the rules of the road whenever possible. Treat every "intersection" in the lot as a 4-way stop. Drive on the right side of the road consistently. Practice parking in tough spots. Develop skills to make tight turns and maneuvers. Practicing in an empty parking lot takes away risk and stress. I've even gotten out of the car and let them drive alone. Spending an hour in a parking lot two or three times before hitting the road can really help your young driver get comfortable behind the wheel...and it can help you manage your stress level, too.

5. Save highway driving for last. My experience is to start slow and work your way up. I let the professional drivers education teacher take them on the interstate for the first time. Rather than jumping right to the freeway. Find safe, high speed zones that you can travel first. Find a nice 45 MPH stretch that they can drive on comfortably. Then find a 55 MPH zone with less traffic. A nice drive in the country is great for learning how to handle an automobile at higher speeds.

6. Talk to your insurance agent. This is a no brainer. Before you hit the road, understand the insurance requirements in your state. Know when you student  needs to be on your policy before you put the keys in the ignition. A good insurance agent will also give you tips on how to keep your premiums down. Boys are expensive to insure because they are greater risks. But good grades and other discounts are available. Don't be shy about asking. Your agent may have access to some good education materials for both you and your young, aspiring driver.

7. Set limitations. When your young driver officially gets that license, it is no time to turn them loose. Set some limits on when and where they can drive. Know the laws governing when they have to be home and who can be in the car with them. Laws vary by state, but parents can often be surprised to learn those restrictions.

8. Continue to coach. Finally, keep an ongoing dialogue going with your young driver. Drive with them every once in a while and provide feedback. Some insurance company's offer a device that you can plug into any car that can provide data on speed, braking, distance travel, etc. This can be helpful information to continue to mentor new drivers into safe drivers.

These are just some items I've picked up in my experience that I wish someone would have shared with me the first time around the block (literally).

What are some tips you have on this topic?