Learning how to drive is an important skill for your teenager, and you want to instill confidence and faith in them. As your car backs slowly out of the driveway, it’s difficult to know if you or your teen is more nervous. However, parents play an important role in helping teens learn to drive and letting them get behind the wheel on vacation will give them the self-esteem that they need to handle this challenging task.
Practice Makes Perfect
When it comes to learning how to drive, experience is one of the most important teachers. The more time the young drivers spend practicing a variety of techniques behind the wheel, the better prepared they will be for whatever challenges are thrown their way. Letting your teen drive on vacation can be a great place to give your teen’s self-esteem a boost. Keep the driving sessions short and make sure they are properly rested before they get in the driver’s seat. Traveling toward a busy destination such as Florida requires the driver to be alert and keep their eyes on the road.
Move On to More Advanced Skills
Once your teen has mastered the basics, they are ready to advance their driving skills. Florida roads can be busy and changing lanes, merging into traffic, highway driving and maintaining a safe speed for the road conditions are all important skills that your teen will need to master. Driving on vacation allows them the chance to get a world of experience and confidence. Speak words of encouragement when they follow the rules of the road. If they do something wrong, never yell or shout. Correct them gently and offer suggestions on what to do if they ever find themselves in that situation again.
Discuss Your Expectations
The weather can be unpredictable, and it will give your teen driver experience to practice in inclement weather. Traveling on a highway in rainy weather is an excellent learning experience for your teen and teaches them how to stop and go when the roads are slippery. Before you start out on the road for the day together, go over basic instructions. This includes the current speed limits for the city you are traversing through. Practice day and night time driving in remote locations or parking lots before you hit the road with your teen and give them time to set the car up properly.
Maintenance Necessities
When planning a trip, teach your teen the importance of maintenance and car safety. You can begin by showing them where the spare tire, lug wrench and other car equipment are located. Other necessary items to go over include air pressure for your tires, checking the oil and how to pump gas. Make sure your teen has their license, registration and insurance cards on hand at all times when they get behind the wheel. Whether you ask an Orlando patrolman or a car accident attorney in Miami, they will both suggest that if a collision should occur, your teen needs to know what to do. You can tell them to notify their parents immediately, so they can call an accident attorney. A knowledgeable and experienced accident attorney can make sure evidence is handled properly and that all parties involved are represented thoroughly.
Learning to drive is a fun and exciting time in your teen’s life, and you want to make this a positive experience for all. Vacation roads trips are a great learning experience and allow teens to navigate in areas that are new to them.
Ann Bailey has taught two teens of her own to drive, and reminds others of the drivers education details that are important. When bad situations occur in southern Florida, a car accident attorney in Miami reached at Steinger, Iscoe and Green will help protect your teen’s rights and make the transitions forward run as smoothly as possible.
