Best Places for Your Teen to Practice Driving

Kids grow up pretty fast. One minute they're playing with toy cars, and then, before you know it, they're ready to take their first driving lessons. Learning to drive is a big deal to many teens because they see the chance to get behind the wheel as the first sign that they're becoming an adult. For parents, it's not so straightforward. If your teen wants to drive, the first question you may ask is where you can help them learn safely and without any interference. If you want to help your child on his or her way to that all-important license, this simple guide from Sheehy Nissan of Mechanicsville will help you learn about the best places for your teen to practice driving.

Many parking lots offer large, open spaces where your teen can practice driving for a good period of time. Choose parking lots that have good lighting, and where there are very few obstacles that a new driver might accidentally collide with. Remember that you are helping your teen learn on private land, which means that you need to make sure there is no risk of damage to property or vehicles. The best thing about many parking lots is that they have lots of clear markings, and wide, easy turns for new drivers to navigate. A parking lot is perfect to help your teen practice all the basic skills, and to learn how the car handles.

Make sure that you pick an appropriate time of day, particularly when your teen is taking his or her first lessons. Clearly, busy periods, when there are lots of other people or drivers around, will not make a good practice spot. Conversely, your teen may feel nervous about learning to drive when it is dark, so an early morning visit could offer the best compromise.

Once your teen has developed more confidence, you can start to take him or her out on the road for more lessons. Clearly, it's very important to choose quiet roads, where there is very little traffic, until your son or daughter gains a little more confidence. Make sure that you have a list of the skills that you want to teach during each lesson. At this stage, you should focus on visibility, coming to a full stop, driving around curves, driving uphill and other basic types of navigation. Confirm with your teen that they are ready to move on, before you start to drive on busier roads.

Choose busier roads for lessons when you are happy that your child has a good grasp of basic driving skills. On roads and highways, your teen can learn to change lanes, merge into traffic, and cope with the sequence of events at traffic lights. At this stage, you may also want to add in some more complex concepts. For example, take your teen for a lesson at night, when he or she must contend with the reduced visibility. A lesson in wet or very sunny conditions will also help test your teen's skills, and you can use a variety of different scenarios to help improve learning.

Many parents choose to send their teens on a driver's education course. A professional driving instructor can offer intensive teaching, and will normally have access to private facilities, where your teen can learn a variety of skills. These courses are not always cheap, but they are a good option for parents who are busy, or for people who live in a very busy neighborhood, where lessons on the road are almost impossible.

If you want to make sure that your kids turn into competent, reliable drivers, it's important to give them the best possible instruction. Think about the best way to help your children learn to drive, and help keep them safe on the road.