Seeing your teen grow up and become an adult can be an exciting yet daunting experience. They might not be your baby anymore, but you are still protective of them and want the best for them. Helping your teen learn how to drive is a huge step in their becoming more independent and making steps into adult life. While it can be scary to watch your teen behind the wheel of a car, it’s important that you support them in learning to drive safely, so that they can have the best experience on the road and reduce their risk. Some of the best things that you can do to help if your teen is eager to get driving include:
Find an Approved Driving Instructor
It can take some time to find a driving instructor that your teen clicks with, so spend some time trying out different ones with a taster lesson. Many instructors offer a short first lesson at a cheaper rate compared to their normal rate so that potential students can see how they feel learning with them. This can be a good way to find the right instructor and help your teen pick up some driving skills too. Ask around for recommendations; chances are that your teen’s friends are learning to drive and/or have recently passed their test, and will be able to pass some details on.
Insure Them on Your Car
If you have a car that is suitable for a learner to drive in, then insuring your teen on your car and letting them take it for a spin once they’ve learned some basic driving skills can be a great idea. While having lessons is important for learning how to drive correctly and preparing for the test, the real driving skills tend to come when you’re actually on the road, which your teen can do with you in your car. To do this, you will need to get them temporary learner insurance. Temporary learner insurance can be added on to your regular policy, or you can get policies that run alongside the one you already have.
Get Them a Car
As long as your teen is insured and has somebody suitable to supervise them when driving, they can legally drive any car anywhere except the motorway. Getting your teen their first car before they pass their test can be an ideal incentive for them. Providing that they have the right insurance and ‘L’ plates, they can drive their own car whenever they have the supervision of somebody who has had their driving license for at least three years, is at least 21 years of age, and is not banned from driving. You or anybody else who agrees to supervise your teen should stay in control of the situation at all times and not be distracted – for example, by using a mobile phone even though they will be in the passenger seat.
If your teen wants to learn to drive and is eager to get on the road, there are lots of things you can do as a parent to support them with meeting this goal.
