Preparing Your Teen for Driver’s Ed: Getting Ready to Drive

Learning to drive is an important milestone in a teen’s life, marking a step towards independence. Driver’s education plays an important role in this process, ensuring teens are equipped with the right skills and knowledge to drive safely, confidently, and responsibly.

In this blog post, we’ll explore the importance of driver’s ed for teens and look at its benefits, how parents can help support their teens in this process, and why it’s important to pick the right driving school like Driven2Drive.

Understanding the Importance of Driver’s Ed for Teens

Driver’s education is an important step in preparing teens for the responsibilities of the road. Beyond simply learning how to drive a vehicle, driver’s ed instills a sense of responsibility. According to research, teen and young drivers are more at risk for distracted driving, and represent the highest percentage of fatal crashes due to distractions by age group. 

Starting your teen’s driving journey with a structured education program gives them the essential knowledge and skills they need to learn safe driving habits. The key benefits of driver’s ed for teens include:

• Safety: Driver’s ed teaches defensive driving techniques, road sign awareness, traffic laws, and more to reduce the risk of accidents
• Skill development: Teens learn fundamental driving skills like parking, lane changes, emergence maneuvers, and more, and when practiced in a controlled environment, these skills can become second nature
• Confidence building: With more hands-on practice behind the wheel along with professional guidance, teens become more confident in their driving abilities, helping them stay calm in challenging driving situations and making better decisions

What to Expect in a Driver’s Ed Class

In driver’s ed, teens can expect to learn a curriculum made up of a mix of theoretical and practical learning and skills. Here’s what that means:

Theoretical Learning

In a classroom setting, students learn about traffic laws, road signs, basic vehicle operations, and safe driving practices. They’ll also hear about the effects of alcohol and drugs on driving, as well as the dangers of distracted driving.

Practical Learning

After enough time in a classroom, students will get behind the wheel for a hands-on driving experience with a certified professional. At first, in a controlled environment like a parking lot, they’ll learn basics like starting, stopping, and steering, and then as they progress move on to other skills like lane changes, parking, highway merging, and driving in different conditions. They’ll also apply defensive driving techniques discussed in class to real-world scenarios to learn how to react to emergencies.

Essential Driver’s Ed Preparation Tips for Teens

Before signing your teen up for driver’s education classes, they might be nervous or have questions about the process. To better prepare them for embarking on their driving journey, here are three key tips that will help get them ready for a course.

1. Get Familiar with a Driver’s Manual

Even before stepping foot in a classroom, encourage your teen to start reading a driver’s manual to get a head start on understanding the rules of the road. This way, they can build a solid foundation of theoretical knowledge that will get them an extra boost of confidence in their driver’s ed classes.

2. Practice with a Learner’s Permit

Supervised practice with a learner’s permit is necessary before starting driver’s ed classes. This allows teens to become more comfortable behind the wheel and gets them familiarized with basic driving skills. They can also apply what they’ve learned in class to real-world situations.

3. Encourage Your Teen to Learn More

Encouraging your teen to do deeper research into state-specific laws and requirements will not only help them understand the local regulations but also prepare them for the entire licensing process. Tell them to research things like age requirements, permit restrictions, and the steps to obtain a driver’s license.

Pro tip: Use technology wisely. Always discuss with your teen the dangers of distracted driving. Aside from that, it’s also important to discuss how technology can be used to enhance the driving experience. Get your teen familiarized with driving apps for GPS, and look for practice tests or apps online that can give them more practice opportunities.

Supporting Your Teen Through Driver’s Ed

While going through driver’s ed classes marks a significant milestone for your teen, it’s also a learning experience for parents. Aside from sending your teen to a reputable driving school, it’s important to adopt some new habits to prepare yourself and your teen for this process. While driving may seem second nature to most parents, it takes some adjustments to be able to teach your teen safe driving habits. Here are a few ways to better support your teen through this experience.

Prepare Yourself for Driving with Your Teen

While driving with your teen, make sure you take on the role of teacher rather than parent. What this means is that you’ll look for opportunities to provide constructive feedback and create teachable moments rather than yell or get frustrated. This takes both patience and a mindset shift when you get into the car with them, but keeping a calm demeanor can help ease your teen’s nerves and create better practice sessions.

Set Realistic Goals and Expectations

Set yourself and your teen achievable goals by creating a schedule that works for both of you for practice sessions. You can also break down the learning process into steps, such as mastering basic maneuvers before moving on to other more complex skills. Additionally, take the time to celebrate small milestones to build confidence and motivation.

Set a Good Example While Driving

When you’re behind the wheel with your teen in the car, make sure you’re demonstrating safe driving practices, like following traffic laws, avoiding distractions, and staying calm. You can also encourage your teen to ask questions while they’re more calm in the passenger seat and may notice more things on the road.

Pro tip: Review and discuss mistakes. Whenever your teen makes a mistake during driving practice, take the time to review what went wrong and how it can be improved next time. Similarly, if you make a mistake while driving, you could also bring it up in front of your teen and discuss together what could have been done better.

Key Takeaways

Driver’s education is essential for teaching teens safe and responsible driving habits. Here’s what you need to remember about preparing your teen for their lessons:

• Highlight the benefits of driver’s ed like gaining driving skills, building confidence, and learning road safety
• Encourage your teen to read the driver’s manual before lessons begin
• Keep a positive mindset and a teacher’s approach while practicing driving
• Set realistic, achievable goals for driving practice with your teen
• Always model good behavior while driving so your teen can learn from you

Driven2Drive Driving School: Helping Your Teen Succeed

To ease both your and your teen’s nerves when it comes to driver’s ed, choosing the right driving school makes all the difference. A professional driving school will be able to answer all your questions, provide resources, and ensure that your teen is ready for the road.

At Driven2Drive, we’re committed to helping your teen succeed not only in their driving exams but also as a confident driver ready to take on any situation. With six locations across Pennsylvania, a fleet of new vehicles, and certified professional instructors, Driven2Drive is prepared to give your teen the best driver’s ed experience possible in Philadelphia and the surrounding areas.

We offer flexible lessons packages to fit your schedule and budget, so whether you want both theoretical and practical lessons with us or just take your road test, there’s an option to suit every need.

At Driven2Drive, we understand that getting your license can be a stressful event for both parents and teens, which is why our entire team is dedicated to making the process as stress-free as possible. With patient instructors ready to teach your teen the ins and outs of driving in a classroom and on the road, you’ll find peace of mind in knowing they’ve been trained with safe driving habits.

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Related resources

• In Person vs. Online Driver’s Ed
• Teen Driver’s Ed vs. Adult Driver’s Ed
• Why Behind the Wheel Driver’s Ed Matters
• Getting Insurance Discounts Through Driving Lessons in PA
• How Long is Driver’s Ed for Teens and Adults in Pennsylvania?