NV Parent Taught Driver's Ed Teaching Hints

You want to give your teen the best education available, with the support they need to be safe while practicing behind the wheel. By choosing I DRIVE SAFELY, you can be confident that your teen will graduate with all the knowledge to become a responsible driver for life. To ensure everyone's safety, we're offering you these tips to feel good when teaching your teen to drive.

• Decide where, what, and how you're going to practice. An empty parking lot is a great choice for your first outing–there's plenty of room and it's a great way to build confidence. When you and your teen are ready, try a side street with little or no traffic.
• Agree on which skill(s) you'll practice before you head out the door.
• Before you leave, make sure you both know exactly where you're going and what route you'll take to get there.

• You'll use the passenger-side mirror as your rear-view mirror when your teen is behind the wheel, so adjust it to work for you.
• Buckle up, relax and take a deep breath. Think to yourself: "I will be calm. I will be patient. I will not panic. I will not raise my voice."

• Give simple and clear-cut directions, providing your teen with ample time to process and react to your request.
• Stay relaxed and remember your mantra.
• Ask your teen to describe what they're seeing, planning, experiencing, etc.
• If you or your teen show signs of stress, take a break.
• Shower them with praise!
• Keep talking to a minimum (unless it's praise).
• If your teen driver makes a mistake, calmly ask them to pull over when it's safe. Discuss the error and prepare for what's next. (Remember, everyone makes mistakes.)

• Sit down and talk about how it went. Let your teen critique your instruction as well!
• Give your teen the chance to review their mistakes and offer suggestions for improvement.
• Remember to praise the good things.
• Finally, review what you both can do to improve next time.

• Teaching safe and smart driving starts long before your teen gets behind the wheel. Talk to your teen about what it means and the skills needed to be a safe driver. It's as important as discussing sex, drugs, and alcohol.
• Use the Parent-Teen Driving Contract to clearly outline all your driving expectations, rules and consequences. Download and make sure everyone signs it.