How to Teach Your Kids to Drive

You may think that driving is easy, and you probably can’t remember how hard it was to learn. Driving is, however, one of the most complex things a person will ever learn to do in their lives. Try patting your head, stamping your feet, whistling, and rubbing your belly at the same time, and you will begin to understand what you are demanding of your brain. A car is a large collection of controls which all require separate but simultaneous operation, whilst you also pay attention to everything and everyone surrounding you – and all at high speed! Driving is complex and teaching your child to do it properly is one of the best investments of time that you could ever possibly make.

High-risk Drivers
An important element to consider is that P-plate drivers are the highest risk drivers. This is why their car insurance quotes are so high in comparison to experienced drivers, and it is why their speed is limited after passing their test. The way that you teach your child to drive will determine how safe they are on the road and potentially how long they will survive.

’Competent driving is the result of years of experience’
Experience Before DrivingDespite the fact that everyone says driving is easy, it takes far more than a mastery of the basics to do it properly. The awareness of everything around you, an understanding of how to control a vehicle in all conditions, and an ability to preempt hazards are skills only honed after years of driving. To start teaching your child to drive, you should begin to impart this wisdom as you are driving yourself. Before your child even has their driver’s license you should begin pointing out hazards and signs that you are reacting to on the road. Explain what road signs mean, why traffic behaves as it does, and when you should begin signalling. This information will be invaluable, but it is essential that you drive in a responsible manner when imparting this wisdom. Remember that driving aggressively is the largest cause of accidents and that learners are most likely to make mistakes. For this reason you should teach a sedate mode of driving.

Hire a Professional Instructor
When they are ready to learn to drive, get them to take around 10 lessons with a professional instructor to cover the basics. After the first 3 lessons, you can begin to take the learner on small trips yourself and ease them into the transition. After the 10 lessons, you may determine that they need more, or you could take over. You should spend the full 120 hours with your child, teaching them to drive, but it is important to intersperse this time with professional lessons as well. This will ensure that your child is learning the techniques which will be tested, and learning them correctly, for example, checking the mirrors and positioning their hands on the steering wheel.

Providing a vehicle, car insurance, and practice to your child is one of the best gifts of knowledge that you can provide. Use the time it takes to teach your child as an investment in their future. The more experience you give them, the better they will be when they finally do pass their test, and this could make all of the difference to their life and yours.

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