Tips on Teaching a Teenager to Drive | Gerry Lane Cadillac
Teaching your teen to drive may fill you with two conflicting feelings. On one hand, you’re proud that your youngster is taking the first steps to adulthood and can contribute to running errands for the family and driving the younger ones around. On the other, you’re afraid that this new stage of life is exposing your child to dangers that he or she has never faced before. Make the process easier on yourself and your teen by following these tips.
Set an Example
Teaching your teen to drive started way before he or she expressed interest in the task. Your youngster has been observing your driving habits or skills ever since the first childhood ride. Be sure to show good driving habits yourself by focusing on the road, avoiding distractions, and following all the rules and regulations. If you’ve set a good example behind the wheel all these years, then your youngster will have a good foundation in learning to drive.
Prep Yourself and Your Teen
The rules of the road have changed since you took your driver’s course. So bone up on the latest developments by reviewing any driving guides provided online or in the offices of your DMV. You’ll then feel more comfortable in knowing all the information. Your teen will then feel confident in asking you any questions.
Don’t try to teach everything in one sitting. Instead, break your driving course into easily digestible lessons with each one covering just one aspect, such as basic operations, highway maneuvers, or parking. At the start of each lesson, explain to your youngster what you’re going to cover, where you’ll be going, and what he or she will be doing. At the end of the lesson, review what happened, offer praise for good driving, and discuss areas that need improvement.
Don’t try to teach everything in one sitting. Instead, break your driving course into easily digestible lessons with each one covering just one aspect, such as basic operations, highway maneuvers, or parking. At the start of each lesson, explain to your youngster what you’re going to cover, where you’ll be going, and what he or she will be doing. At the end of the lesson, review what happened, offer praise for good driving, and discuss areas that need improvement.
Start Slowly
Your initial lessons should take place in daylight and on sunny days with fair weather. Begin with a tour of important components of the vehicle's interior and exterior. You can then move to an empty parking lot to continue with actual maneuvers like starting, speeding up, slowing down, turning, stopping, and backing up.
After your teen gains confidence with no moving cars around, continue on to a residential street, and then to areas with more and more cars before trying the highway when traffic is light. Driving in the dark, during heavy traffic, or in bad weather should be reserved for later lessons.
After your teen gains confidence with no moving cars around, continue on to a residential street, and then to areas with more and more cars before trying the highway when traffic is light. Driving in the dark, during heavy traffic, or in bad weather should be reserved for later lessons.
Instill Responsibility for Others
Instill in your teen that other people are also on the road: drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians. Most of them take their road responsibilities seriously but some do not. Your youngster has to be aware of both types of people when taking the wheel.
Teach him or her to drive defensively and courteously, and to let go of any perceived slights to prevent escalating situations into accidents. Your teen must learn to keep emotions under check on the road. The other driver may just be having a bad day or is not as aware as your youngster. Teach your teen how to maintain a safe gap around the vehicle that will allow for stopping or maneuvering into the next lane to avoid potential problems.
Teach him or her to drive defensively and courteously, and to let go of any perceived slights to prevent escalating situations into accidents. Your teen must learn to keep emotions under check on the road. The other driver may just be having a bad day or is not as aware as your youngster. Teach your teen how to maintain a safe gap around the vehicle that will allow for stopping or maneuvering into the next lane to avoid potential problems.
Rely on Cadillac Tech when Your Teen Solos
To help parents who want their kids to drive, Cadillac adds Teen Driver technology to certain models. This feature activates when your youngster uses a specific key fob and does the following:
At the end of the drive, you can view an in-vehicle Teen Driver Report Card that details the distance driven, maximum speed, warnings, and when safety tech like Traction Control engaged. You can use this report to encourage good driving habits and offer suggestions to counter less stellar behavior.
- Mutes entertainment audio until all those in front fasten their seatbelts.
- Issues warnings when the vehicle exceeds a limit that you set. It also limits the top speed.
- The Buckle-to-Drive feature in some models prevents the teen from shifting into gear for 20 seconds if the seat belt is unbuckled.
- Turns safety assists on, such as Forward Collision Alert, Stability Control, Lane Departure Warning, and Daytime Running Lights.
At the end of the drive, you can view an in-vehicle Teen Driver Report Card that details the distance driven, maximum speed, warnings, and when safety tech like Traction Control engaged. You can use this report to encourage good driving habits and offer suggestions to counter less stellar behavior.
If you come down to Gerry Lane Cadillac in Baton Rouge, LA, we’ll be happy to demonstrate these and other features that can be useful for teaching your teen to drive.