With anything new, it’s helpful to take the time to practise driving a car. In this case, you may want to think about signing them up for driving lessons. This will get them driving with an expert who can teach your child the rules of the road and how to operate a vehicle. It’s also useful because your teen can ask any questions that they have and get the answers right away. Working with a professional driving school is likely to give your teen a better chance of passing their driving test. As the parent, you may also want to get in the car with them and help them practise. For example, you can have them drive around and get in the habit of parking a car in an open and empty parking lot.

As your teen starts to drive, you want to emphasise the importance of putting safety first. Make sure they understand how vital it is to apply what they learn in driving school in the real world. Make them commit to wearing a seatbelt at all times in the car because it could save their life. Remind them that they should wear it even if they are going short distances and if they get pulled over and aren’t wearing a seatbelt they could get a ticket. Talk about the real dangers of road rage and how to control their feelings and emotions behind the wheel. Remind them to never drive if they feel overtired because this can also be very dangerous and they may experience an unwanted situation. 

The good news is that once your teen can drive it will take some pressure off of you and free up more of your time. As your teen starts to drive, you may want to think about getting them a vehicle to use. It’s important to go over your budget and figure out what you can afford before making a purchase. Keep in mind that you’ll also need to cover expenses such as gas, maintenance, and car insurance. Determine ahead of time with your teen how much money they may be able to contribute toward the costs. Start shopping around early so that you don’t feel rushed or pressured to make a purchase. Think about the needs of your teen driver and what type of vehicle they may be interested in securing. There are some important factors to take into consideration when you’re in the market for a new car. 

The reality is that accidents and incidents do occur out on the open road. Sometimes what happens will be out of your teen’s control. As your teen starts to drive, begin to think about and discuss with them what to do if they are in a car accident. Remind them that they should first check for any injuries and get medical attention if necessary. Let them know to notify the authorities and document the accident, especially if they aren’t at fault. In some cases, it may also be necessary to contact a lawyer after the fact. Tell them to never assume that other drivers will do the right thing on the road. Reinforce to them that they should never leave the scene of an accident, no matter if they caused it or not. 

You’ll want to make sure your teen knows and studies the rules of the road as well. Remind them that they should always know what the speed limit is and avoid going over it. It’s also important that they know how to fill a gas tank safely. Discuss how dangerous distracted driving is and that they should put their phone away while behind the wheel. Talk about how sending a text can wait until they are safely stopped and not in a moving vehicle. If they have friends in the car everyone should buckle up and the music shouldn’t be turned up too high. You can always review the car manual together if they have questions about operating and taking care of the vehicle.