Driver’s education is a proven method to teach teens to drive safely. States that do not mandate a driver’s education class before giving someone a license have higher incidences of car and road accidents. States that do require a driver’s education have seen an increase in road safety and driver competency. Unfortunately, not all states require driver’s ed. A lot don’t, and that’s detrimental to their constituents. So, here’s the thing: even though your state does not mandate your teens to take a class on driving, have your kids take them as soon as they can.
When Is the Best Time?
The best time is when your kids are legally allowed to be behind the wheel already. Your state will not permit them anyway if they are too young. Some parents feel that they shouldn’t let their kids learn how to drive too early because they might want to take the car for a spin on their own.
News flash: they are going to try to drive the family car. Even you did that when you were a teen. So, the next best thing to do is to equip them with the right knowledge on how to drive it. Whether or not you should punish them for taking the car when you said no is another issue. What’s important is to have them back home safe and whole. Enrolling them in a driver’s ed class as early as possible is the only way to ensure their safety on the road.
Avoid Traumatic Accidents
This is the best reason it’s important to learn from the pros. Drivers who learned how to drive in a driving school avoid accidents and other traumatic incidents more than those who learned from their parents and friends. If an accident happened, the trauma would be unbearable, and they might have to hire a personal injury lawyer or pay third-party damages. The problem with car accidents is not only the physical and financial turmoil after but also the emotional and mental challenges of being behind the wheel again.
Lower Insurance Costs
The one thing that all parents dread once their kids are old enough to drive is the increase in their insurance premiums. Once you add your teens to your policy, the company will bump your premiums significantly. Are you aware that insurance companies offer discounts for teens who have taken a driver’s ed? Yes, that’s right. If you enroll your kids in a driver’s ed class, your insurance policy will give you a discount once you add your teen to the policy. If you are not familiar with the offer, contact your insurance provider and inquire about it.
Learn the Details
Sure, you are a pretty good driver. You think you can teach your teens how to maneuver the car, but you are not a professional. You don’t know how to teach your kids the details of driving. While basic driving is easy, the details are what makes a good driver, well, good. Driving tasks and habits are second nature to people, which means they do it without thinking about it too much.
Driver’s ed teachers have worked with beginners for a long time. They follow a technique to make teens remember the important details about driving, such as checking the tires before they open the car door and all the mirrors before turning on the ignition. When they are on the road, these tiny details—checking the side-view mirror for oncoming traffic behind you—should be second nature to the teen drivers as well.
Get More Experience
Admit it; you don’t have all the time in the world to teach your teens how to drive. You usually only have a couple of hours on weekends to do this with them. A driver’s ed class will focus on making sure they learn how to drive safely. Plus, the driving instructors will also make sure to practice your teens’ driving under different conditions such as bad weather. Your teens will learn how to handle these situations from a pro.
While your teens will eventually gain enough confidence (they can sometimes be too confident even) to drive, nothing is safer than having them instructed by a professional. You will also be at ease letting them drive independently if you know they learned from their driver’s ed class. You can rest well knowing that they have the proper knowledge of handling things on the road. They’ll also pass their driver’s test with flying colors since their driving instructors will guide them through practice tests.
