For most teenagers, learning to drive is practically a rite of passage when they reach the legal driving age, although most parents understandably don’t always see it that way. Teenagers associate driving and owning a car with greater freedom and independence and generally seeing themselves as more grown up and mature.
Car crashes are the leading cause of deaths among teenagers in Australia, and car insurance rates for these newly qualified drivers are also high, because of the high risk factor assessed by insurance companies.
Although many 16 year olds will beg their parents for driving lessons, not all teenagers of course, are ready to learn to drive. Many young drivers have no idea how difficult it can be to learn, how many hours of lessons they will need and the focus and concentration that they will need to maintain.
Learn To Drive – What’s Involved?
The idea of driver’s education courses and a written test puts some teenage drivers off, as does having to know all that ‘boring’ stuff such as road signs, rules of the road and what to do in the event of an emergency. Most 16 year olds have no idea how much a car costs, how much it costs to maintain a vehicle, and how costly even basic repairs and maintenance can be. Some teenagers beg for driving lessons, and then lose interest after taking one or two; some others are too nervous to take their first lesson, having been given the go ahead.
This is where Rightway Driving School comes to the rescue. We understand completely the issues involved and take your teenager at a pace that will make them feel very comfortable
How You, The Parent Can Help
As a parent of a teenager begging you for driving lessons, it is your duty to try to determine whether he or she is ready to learn to drive. The first thing to do is sit down and talk to your teenager; perhaps they only want to drive because all their friends are doing so and they feel left out – peer pressure can be a major factor in the life of a 16 year old.
Ask yourself whether your child is mature and confident enough to drive and potentially handle other drivers; one way to do that is to see how they handle other stressful situations regarding school, family life and relationships. A teenager with a short fuse should perhaps not be behind the wheel of a car; learning to drive at a young age requires patience and concentration.
Who Should Teach Your Teenager To Drive?
If you have decided that your teenager is ready to drive, your next decision is whether to teach them yourself, or pay for lessons or a combination of both.
Many parents consider it their duty to teach their child to drive, and regard it as an important bonding time. After all they only learn to drive once.
If you are teaching your child to drive yourself, one of the first things you should do is to book a free “Keys To Drive” Lesson with Rightway Driving School. You attend this lesson with your teenager and part of the process is to assist parents to understand how they can best assist their teenager when they are in the passenger seat. Click here to find out more information and about our combination free Keys to Drive and professional lesson packages.
One of the things you can also do is to ensure you are setting a good example. Make sure when you are driving that you are always signalling correctly, not speeding, and generally doing everything correctly. Your child may be observing you more closely while you are driving, or may be subconsciously picking up bad habits. And, what bad habits have you picked up that you are not even conscious of?
Why Professional Driving Lessons?
There are lots of advantages to having your child take driving lessons from a professional driving instructor. Many hard working parents simply don’t have the time to teach their own child to drive, or at the end of a hard day at work, don’t have the patience or the enthusiasm.
You may be a good driver, but lack the skills required to be a good teacher, and many parents find themselves becoming impatient, irritable or simply nervous when they are in the passenger seat with their teen driving. If you are nervous and lacking in confidence, your child is likely to feel the same way too. A professional driving instructor is qualified and experienced to teach others, and has the patience and understanding needed to teach teenagers, who can be the most difficult of students.
Only you can determine if your 16 year old is ready for driving lessons; however, don’t make a hasty decision, rather talk to them and make sure they understand the process and what is expected. If you feel you have the time, tact and patience to teach your child yourself, go for it, otherwise professional lessons are certainly the way to go.
Remember that the first 10 hours of lessons will add 30 hours to your teenagers Log Book. We find most parents go for this option so that they can log their 100 hours a lot quicker. Also with a 10 lesson package your teenager will have become a very competent driver. You can use some of the lessons in the early days and save one or two for just before it is time to go for the practical driving test.
Rightway Driving school, now located at Molendinar, has driving instructors available throughout the Gold Coast. And remember to ask about your free “keys to drive” lesson. And of course you now have the option of booking online 24/7