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Teaching your teen to drive

It could be argued that one of the most challenging tasks parents face is teaching their teen to drive.

It isn’t surprising that in an effort to prevent teenagers from having car accidents, there is a lot of research being done on the topic. one study found that parents who set firm rules about car usage and driving – such as retaining control over the car keys, setting curfews, and limiting kids’ driving in bad weather – can reduce the risk of accidents by up to 50%.

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Another study says that not allowing your teen to have their own car for the first year of driving can decrease their chance of considering themselves the primary driver and therefore taking risks. And the Automobile Association and the University of Waikato recently released a study which found the cognitive brain functions people need for safe driving are not fully developed until we are 25 years old.

It advises that teenagers spend 120 hours being supervised while driving before they’re allowed to go solo. That’s a lot of time to spend in the car with your teen, so here are some tips for getting them on the road and keeping them safe.

Short and sweet

Keep lessons short at first. Half-an-hour or so is a good length of time to keep a teenager’s interest.

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on the level

Choose a safe environment, such as a big shopping-centre car park on a day the mall is closed, where you can have your lessons. Make sure it is flat. Hill starts are something you need to teach a lot later.

Cool heads

Keep calm. And that means both of you! Your child will be nervous and you might become agitated if they keep grinding gears or forgetting to put on the brakes, but don’t get angry. otherwise the lesson will turn into something unpleasant, and that isn’t a good environment to learn anything in.

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Take it slow

Keep it simple by beginning with basic skills like turning and braking (in second gear if teaching in a manual) and make sure you praise your child when they get it right. once their confidence is a little higher, you can move on to other more technical details and manoeuvres.

Setting goals

Discuss with your child what your aims are for each lesson, for example, “You did such a great job changing gears the other day that I think it’s time you learned to reverse.” This way your child won’t feel they’re expected to do too much too soon and will have a sense of achievement at the end of each lesson.

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Learning curves

once your child has managed to get through the basics – changing gears, turning, braking and backing up – it’s time to get them out on the road. Find somewhere, like a quiet cul-de-sac, nearby where they can practise smooth turns, coming to a complete stop and perhaps even some parking.

onward & upward

Next, find another quiet street on a hill and move on to hill starts.

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Road-ready

When it’s time to take to the open road, don’t suggest the motorway or the main street of your town or city. Choose a local road that isn’t too busy – and certainly don’t time your lesson for rush hour!

Instant replay

Before you go out on the open road, take your teenager for a drive with you and ask them to point out the various traffic signs and explain what they mean (they should be studying the Road Code while they’re learning to drive). Point out potential hazards such as pedestrian crossings, driveways, areas where there aren’t any footpaths and busy corners that can be difficult to negotiate. Then let your learner driver take the wheel on the same route.

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on the lookout

Encourage your child to be a defensive driver who anticipates potential hazards before they happen. This includes being prepared for children running out on the road around schools and parks, plus looking for pedestrians on crossings before they step out.

out & about

Let them practise as much as they can by doing most of the driving on family outings etc. This also helps normalise the driving process for them.

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Make an agreement

Consider writing an agreement between you and your teen for use of the car. It should cover rules such as not driving in bad weather, returning the car when they say they will, not taking drugs or drinking etc. And don’t forget to list the consequences if the rules are broken, like not being able to use the car for a month.

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