Parents urged to be supportive in helping teens to improve their driving skills

Parents greatly influence teenagers’ ability to drive safely and responsibly. Ultimately, parental support and involvement can help to develop safe driving habits and get teens ready for the responsibilities of driving.

Parents can help their children develop their confidence and competency as a driver by offering constant advice, being patient, and criticising constructively during the learner driver’s phase.

Before getting in the car

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Putting a learner driver sign on the vehicle is advised, even if it is not legally necessary.

The sign should make other motorists more understanding when your young driver pauses at a stop sign for a bit longer or proceeds slowly down the road.

If you put the sign in your back window, ensure your visibility is unobstructed. Additionally, you can attach the sign to the body of the vehicle’s rear.

Even if your child just passed their driving test, go over the laws of the road with them again. Children and their parents might benefit from this.

Over time, many of us develop poor driving habits. Consider your driving style and the habits you do not want to instil in your child.

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Plan your trip and talk with your youngster about it. At first, pick simple, peaceful routes without traffic lights or roundabouts. Plan various routes with varied traffic conditions as your teen gains greater confidence.

Ensure your car insurance covers other drivers, and check the condition of your vehicle.

Motorists can be traumatised when a car breaks down, but inexperienced drivers are particularly vulnerable. Keep up with routine maintenance to keep your car in top condition.

Driving with a learner driver

• Stay calm.

• Draw a deep breath, but not overtly.

• Give clear instructions and calmly repeat them. Remember, your teen is anxious, so there will not be any abrupt detours from the intended path.

• Watch for your teen’s compliance with the minimum and maximum speeds.

• If your learner driver unintentionally stalls the car, be ready to activate the hazard lights.

• Drive in a variety of situations, including daylight, darkness, rain, light, medium, and heavy traffic.

• As your learner driver gains confidence, try different types of roads, such as highways and busier main roads.

Your teenager can drive a car with passengers after they receive their full driver’s licence. Your youngster must be aware of this obligation. Driving with other people in the car is a good idea.

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Calling the professionals

Parental involvement is crucial when teaching your child to drive, but spending money on a few lessons with a qualified driving instructor is vital.

Driving schools are not all equal. Ask your friends for recommendations and research the school’s accreditation with the Southern African Institute of Driving Instructors.

When you have selected a school, speak in person to the instructor. Ask to see his qualifications and the training programme. After the incident, talk to the learner driver and allow them to drive you. Evaluate their development.

Teenagers just starting to drive need frequent parental supervision.

You want your youngster to be ready for any situation when driving the car. Being calm and patient should help your teen stay receptive to your advice.

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Once your child has passed their driver’s test, set clear ground rules for them, such as prohibiting night driving and putting a cap on the number of passengers.

Give your child a little freedom at a time so they learn safe driving techniques and are ready for the challenges ahead.

• Information from MotorHappy