Questions for Parents of Teens Getting Ready to Drive

Are you the parent of a teen that’s at that magic age when he/she is eligible to begin driving? Here are a few questions that you should consider.

1. Is he/she mature enough for the responsibility?
This is the most important question that a parent needs to consider. Does your child exhibit sufficient self-control and maturity to handle the responsibility of being in control of a 2,000+ pound missile loaded with 10 to 30 gallons of explosive liquid? If you aren’t comfortable with your answer, then serious discussion between you and your teen should occur before you begin the licensing process.

2. Who will do the training?
Today, there are usually many options available to the parent. I’ll bet that most of us were first exposed to driving in a parking lot or on a quiet residential street by a parent or older sibling. For most, this was just the beginning.

It used to be that most high schools offered driver education courses as an elective; now that is the exception, rather than the norm. These classes were designed around classroom instruction for 30 hours of seat-time. Why 30? Because that was the number of hours required to grant partial credit as an elective course. This has been picked up as the required standard by some states, and by some insurance companies for discount eligibility.

Unfortunately, I have yet to hear from anyone that participated in this type of class that didn’t say they were bored out of their minds while learning very little of practical value. That’s not to say the content was bad, it simply validates studies that rate classroom lectures as the most ineffective teaching method. Check out the DrivingMBA FAQ page for more information on the Learning Pyramid.

A popular option is for parents to take on the responsibility of teaching their teen to drive (~1/3 of teens are taught this way). After all, if my dad could teach me how to drive, why shouldn’t I be able to do the same for my kid? Part of the problem is that both vehicles and roadways, while safer, are far more complex and sophisticated than they were 20 years ago. An NHTSA study of Texas results determined that this was the least effective method of teen driver training, even though the Texas program is one of the most elaborate. Download the study here.

3. How much training will he/she get?
The industry standard is a varied amount of classroom training, ranging from 30+ hours for those schools still adhering to the 1/2 credit concept, to the minimum necessary to adequately understand and retain the rules of the road. This is usually followed by 6 hours of actual road time with an instructor. With the advent of Graduated Drivers License laws, many states require that the parent or guardian attest to a number of practice driving hours with the permit holder prior to licensing.

4. Who will provide the practice time?
Practice time is critical to the development of the new driver. This usually falls on the shoulders of one or both parents. Once the teen has gained some confidence behind the wheel, all driving while the teen is in the vehicle should be done by the teen, unless physical condition makes this unadvisable. The teen has to get exposure to varied conditions and routes in order to really gain meaningful experience. Driving every day to and from school as the only driving practice might serve to meet the minimum requirements, but only means that they are very experienced on that route, and under the same conditions.

5. What kind of vehicle will be available?
If the teen attends a commercial driving school, the likelihood is that the vehicle will be a smaller model. Schools choose these vehicles for economy reasons, but it serves a very different purpose as well. The student is introduced to driving in a vehicle that is easier to control. The transition to driving the family van or SUV or sports sedan is an area where parents need to exercise caution. Start slowly, and make certain that the teen is comfortable with where the corners of the vehicle are when he/she is behind the wheel and in control of maneuvering past that mailbox.

6. What kind of vehicle will he/she be driving after licensing?
Many parents believe that bigger is better/safer. While it might be somewhat safer for the occupant of the vehicle in a collision with another, smaller vehicle, the notion of safety is misplaced. A safer vehicle is one that is within the capabilities of the driver to control its operation. A larger vehicle has a much higher center of gravity, and reacts much differently when a sudden steering or braking maneuver is executed.

There was a school of thought that advocated a large older sedan as the first vehicle. The thinking was that it was inevitable that the teen would experience a collision, so buy something cheap. Older vehicles have less modern safety features, and may encounter mechanical problems, so this is no longer seen as a good idea. Besides, why on earth should it be a given that the teen will be in a collision? Proper preparation just might be a better answer.

7. How will you know he/she is ready to drive solo?
You are no longer on edge and tense in the passenger seat while the teen drives, and you can actually do something other than maintain constant vigil over what is happening. The teen has demonstrated a level of responsibility that allows you to entrust him/her with his own life and the lives of others on the road at the same time. You have discussed and signed a driving contract and have established clear expectations and consequences. The teen is ready.