It’s no secret that the car is an ubiquitous part of American life–with 86 percent of us commuting to work in our own cars every single day. While driving can feel like second nature once you reach parenthood, it’s still risky: motor accidents are one of the leading causes of death and injury in the nation. Drivers training is not required in most high schools anymore, but it can still prepare your teen for the situations they may find on the road. If you haven’t signed your teen up for a beginner driving school, here are a few reasons why you should.
The first year on the road is the most perilous for teens.
Your memories of driving in your late teens aren’t an anomaly–in their first year on the road, teenagers are 10 times more likely to be in a car accident, and auto accidents are one of the leading causes of death for young adults. Learning to drive safely and to take care of a vehicle can actually be one of the most important lessons that your teen learns.
A driving instructor already knows how to teach your teen how to drive.
Do you cringe at the idea of showing your sixteen year old how to merge onto a busy highway? Are you not completely sure what to do at that traffic light that is always going out? Sending your teen to drivers training can be a safe bet. Driving instructors work with beginners all the time, and often their vehicles are outfitted with an emergency brake and gas pedal on the passenger side. Professional drivers training starts with the basics, leaving you to drive with your teen after they have mastered some of the fundamentals.
Good drivers training will run the gamut of scenarios your teen may find on the road.
About half of all American teenagers learn to drive with their parents, but parents’ teaching ability is limited to their own experience. If you’ve never driven in snowy or rainy conditions, it could be beneficial to sign your teen up for driving school. Drivers training will generally visit areas you may not be as familiar with to go over various merges, interchanges, and visibility that you may not have encountered, and some courses also include drills that simulate snow, flood conditions, and ice. They can also have your teen practice driving route they’ll take on driving exam day and walk them through the scoring guide, making sure they’re prepared to pass their drivers test the first time around.
Many teenagers still see their drivers license as a right of passage. As exciting as it can be to finally have the independence and freedom that provides, it’s important also to make sure that they’re fully prepared for whatever they may encounter on the road.
