Practical Tips on How to Teach Your Teenager to Drive

Teaching your teenager to drive can be nerve-wracking for parents, and — as excited as your teen may be — they could be nervous, too. The good news is that plenty of people have successfully done it before you.

From spreading out instructional duties to staying calm, this parent’s guide to teaching driving includes 10 practical tips to help your teen feel confident behind the wheel.

1. Practice in Open Spaces

Practicing in open spaces is key for teaching your teen to drive. Many parents choose to start driving practice in parking lots. Large malls or shopping centers often have open places that provide plenty of space to drive without many obstacles.

2. Practice Frequently

The more your teenager drives, the more likely they are to be comfortable behind the wheel. Regular practice allows them to test their skills and develop new ones. It is unlikely that your teen will learn to drive overnight, so the more hours they can put toward practicing, the better.

3. Expect Mistakes

Mistakes can happen. Your teenager might tap the curb or forget to turn on their turn signal. They may even get into a fender bender — accident risk is highest for 16- to 19-year-olds= — and these scenarios can be stressful.

It may help to think back to when you first learned to drive. Chances are — even if you are a great driver now — you still had to develop your driving skills through practice. Mistakes can be learning opportunities. Encourage your teenager to see them similarly by being gentle when encountering challenges.

4. Bring in More Teachers

Whatever the topic, different teachers bring various teaching styles to the table. Your approach to teaching parking skills might suit your teenager’s learning style perfectly, but maybe your neighbor’s explanation of braking clicks with your teen better than yours.

Using various instructors also means your teenager can likely get more practice since one teacher may be available when another is not. A trusted family friend also has more emotional distance than a parent, which can be helpful if you need a reprieve.

5. Keep Calm

Your energy can influence your teen. Your teenager will likely become agitated if you are shouting, gripping the armrest or flinching in the passenger’s seat. Being calm is integral to safe driving, and teaching your child how to adopt a relaxed but focused attitude is as essential as anything else you will teach them.

If you become emotional during driving practice, pause the lesson for the day and return to it when you feel calmer. If this pattern persists, enlist the help of another parent or family friend. You can also consider enrolling your teenager in driving school, where a professional can employ their emotional distance to offer instruction.

6. Write a New Driver Agreement

Creating a new driver agreement can make rules and expectations explicit, avoiding confusion or arguments down the line. You should tailor it to suit your household’s circumstances, needs and concerns, and speak with your teen about potential scenarios. For instance, if they get into an accident, your car insurance could increase by $500 or more monthly. Will one person take sole responsibility for that cost, or will you divide it? Will your approach depend on the accident and who was at fault?

Here are some ideas for topics your agreement could cover:

When your teenager can drive the family car
Who is responsible for gas, insurance and maintenance
Who is allowed to be a passenger in the car
What constitutes dangerous driving
How much in advance your teenager should ask to borrow the car
The consequences for breaking the rules

7. Teach Skills Gradually

Avoid rushing through all the skills your teen needs to know in one lesson. Introduce one or a few at a time. Allow them to practice and perfect their abilities before adding more. Gradual teaching is often less overwhelming, which is good news for both you and your teenager.

8. Cover All the Basics

Before jumping into the car, take stock of the essential skills you must cover for your teen to pass the driving test. You may have been driving for a long time, putting you further away from when you first started. This time gap can make it difficult to consciously remember all the skills you automatically use daily on the road.

List out the must-learn driving skills you and your teenager should cover. There are several common ones you can include:

Braking
Accelerating
Determining who has the right of way
Changing lanes
Turning
Following the speed limit
Navigating potential hazards
Responding to emergency vehicles
Obeying road signs
Following other cars at a safe distance/li>
Parking

Consider any skills that are specific to your location. For instance, in some regions, drivers will likely encounter deer jumping into the road. Parallel parking is essential in other places, like large cities.

9. Educate Your Teen

In addition to teaching practical skills, you should educate your teen on the most common dangerous behaviors, such as driving under the influence and distracted driving. In 2022, distracted driving led to 3,308 fatalities, so it is essential to educate your teen on how to avoid it for the safety of everyone on the road. This includes talking or texting on a mobile device, eating or drinking, adjusting audio or navigation systems, and even talking to passengers in the car.

10. Set a Good Example

Set an example for your teen by practicing safe driving yourself. If it’s second nature to you, there may be road rules you do not follow to the letter. For instance, maybe you slow rather than come to a complete stop at a stop sign, or you do not always turn on your turn signal when switching lanes if there are not many other cars on the road. Your teenager may be watching you, so obey the rules of the road the way you want them to when it’s their turn at the wheel.

Driving With Your Teenager

Teaching your teen to drive doesn’t have to be as daunting as it seems. These tips offer guidance on everything from safe driving education to setting rules now that your teenager is off on the open road. Instead of creating tension, you may even have fun and bond with them in the process.

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