Learning to drive often centres on passing the practical driving test. While getting a full driving licence is an important milestone, it doesn’t automatically prepare your teen for every situation they’ll encounter when they start driving without an instructor beside them.
As a parent with years of driving experience, you can support your teen as they learn to judge situations on the road, as long as you have young driver insurance in place on your car.
Here are three tips for helping your teen develop the skills they need to drive safely and confidently when they’re eventually making decisions on their own.
*This is a collaborative post. Image Source
*This is a collaborative post. Start with good habits
Help your teen develop good driving habits from the beginning. They’ll find it easier to repeat behaviours that they practise regularly before they start driving independently.
For example, habitually looking further ahead gives your teen more time to anticipate junctions and respond as traffic conditions change. They can then adjust their speed progressively instead of braking sharply or accelerating unnecessarily.
Good driving habits can also help them get a cheaper premium if they use telematics insurance after passing their test.
Face fears gradually
Help your teen approach driving situations they find difficult in small, manageable steps rather than avoiding them or tackling too much at once.
A similar principle underpins exposure therapy, where someone gradually confronts something they fear in controlled steps and on their own terms.
For example, if your teen lacks confidence on large roundabouts, begin with a familiar, quieter roundabout outside peak traffic.
By tackling difficult situations one stage at a time, your teen can learn how to handle driving challenges that once seemed unfamiliar.
Encourage calm decision-making
Encourage your teen to respond to road conditions rather than let other drivers influence their choices.
Practising commentary driving can help them focus because it encourages them to notice what is happening in the present and make better decisions.
For example, during a quieter practice journey, ask your teen to name potential hazards aloud as they notice them. They might say ‘pedestrian approaching the crossing’ before identifying a car waiting at a side road.
By focusing on relevant hazards instead of outside pressure, your teen can respond more calmly to what is actually happening on the road.
Helping your teen become a safe and confident driver means supporting them as they learn to judge road situations for themselves. Before their next drive, agree on one realistic area where they can take more responsibility and give them space to work through it with your support. Over time, they can rely less on prompts from you and become better prepared to assess situations and act for themselves when they eventually drive alone.
What responsibility could your teen take on during their next journey?
*Disclaimer – This is a collaborative post. This post has been pre-written.