Teaching a kid to drive?

Johnnyonthespot wrote

Start 'em young.

Finally something I can use

campgottagopee wrote

Harvey wrote

Brownski has my vote for cult leader. Great choice.

LMAO!!

Browski? What do you want to call your cult?

The Church of Camp , named after our patron saint.

Commandments #2
You just need to go at that shit wide open, hang on, and own it.

LOL  

Man I am psyched to ride this year!

Johnnyonthespot wrote

You could highlight the "unleaded fuel only."  The 22 year old daughter of a guy I worked with bought the cheapest gas available for their 2 year old mini van.  Unfortunately, that fuel was diesel.

isn't the nozzle for diesel very wide?

And isn’t diesel usually 15% higher than 89?

JasonWx wrote

isn't the nozzle for diesel very wide?

Yes, he said that the daughter "had a hard time getting the thing to fit, but managed to do it."

My second oldest daughter just passed her road test today, on the second try.  My oldest daughter passed hers 2 years ago.  I taught both to drive.

1.  Be patient and keep your cool in the car.  Do not yell, criticize, act like they are an idiot, etc.  Exception is after they already have learned how to drive and do something incredibly stupid after being told repeatedly not to.

2.  Find a big open parking lot on weekends to begin teaching.  County government offices and suburban office parks are useful.  Avoid retail shopping lots.  You can do a lot just having them drive figure 8's around lightposts etc. in a big parking lot.  Also just doing 90-degree turns around the perimeter.

3.  If you can find a place to do it, have them feel what it is like accelerating from 0 to 30 or 40 and also slamming on the brakes to a full stop.

4.  Make it a habit to have them put their cell phone in the glove compartment or otherwise out of reach.

5.  Make sure they know where the hazard light switch is, and make them practice flipping it on and pulling over to the right.

6.  After they feel comfortable with a few sessions in the parking lot, take easy rides around the neighborhood.  Traditional neighborhoods with residential streets are best.  Avoid multi-lane roads and county highways for a while.

7.  Once they are comfortable at intersections, etc., move to county highways and multi-lane routes.  Teach them about the blind spot and make sure they know how to check it before changing lanes.

8.  As soon as possible, have them driving every day (e.g., to school in the morning or after pickup) so they start to get the muscle memory and second-nature aspect of accelerating, decelerating and following at a steady distance in stop-and-go and local traffic.  If they are taking the bus to school, consider changing your routine to accomodate this.  [This was the big difference between my first and second daughter just due to timing of summer vacation, and I think it is the reason the second daughter failed the road test.]

9.  At some point, let them drive on the Thruway.  

10.  Do your 15 hours of night driving.

11.  Do not rely on Drivers Ed for them to learn how to drive.  There is simply not enough time for full instruction.  The only real benefit to drivers' ed is getting the full unrestricted license at age 17.

Good luck!

Petronio

**edit:  one additional trick on driving in laned roads -- have them line up the center double yellow line (or other lane indicator) with the left windshield post -- so that the windshield post is "eating up" the double yellow line.  Until they get a sense of where the right side of the car is, they tend to ride too close to the center/left side.

Good advice, Petronio.

JasonWx - don't you think he sounds like Bobo?

Thanks guys. I’m gonna follow Petronio’s program more or less. We went out again today. Pretty nerve wracking even for me

D.B. Cooper wrote

Good advice, Petronio.

JasonWx - don't you think he sounds like Bobo?

Absolutely !!!

maybe he took Bobo's driving class..

Get a riding lawnmower with a steering wheel. Turn 'em loose on the yard for a while. If you live somewhere that's practicable...

Petronio was spot on, pretty much the approach I’ve used with two kids so far.  My son failed his first road test, but seeing as he passed two weeks ago I guess I’m qualified to weigh in.

We didn’t rely on Driver’s Ed.  Yeah, we got them a few one off lessons toward the end just to get some reinforcement......but, unlike with skiing, I could teach my own kids to drive!  At least in our family....don’t let the wife do it.

Parking lots early were a great start, progressing to more complex traffic scenarios.

After all the practice, when it’s time for the road test.....just don’t let them get inside their own head!  My son was so nervous and over-thinking the first time that he made a bonehead move at the first intersection and was done for.  Second time around he just relaxed and aced it.  So, the keep calm thing applies to both teacher and student.

Thanks again guys. It seems unbelievable but lately my problem is getting junior to come out and practice. I guess I must have stressed him out a little

Honestly, if you think he’s decent at driving, I wouldn’t worry and feel like you need to practice, practice, practice!  Sometimes that can just add pressure without any real value.  

When my daughter had her road test....the night before we were out there just to get more practice, practice she probably didn’t need.  Coming to a traffic signal she got caught in that in-between instance where the light turned yellow just as she was arriving.  Stop, go?  That’s a tough one for anybody.  She didn’t navigate it well and by the time she got through the light had turned red......and the police lit her up!  Nothing like getting pulled over the day before your road test.  The cop was cool about it.

Moral of the story....don’t stress about over practicing!

He needs the practice.

Damn young people these days, completely unmotivated!  They sure don’t make.....

My daughter was just never motivated to get her license.  Didn’t take her road test until a week before she left for college.

Ha! He for sure wants his license and a car. I think he thought it would be easy. It’s hard and the high-consequence nature of it has been an eye opener for him