Throughout this guide you will see references to a parent, guardian, or coach. The parent or guardian is the individual with licensing authority over the teen. The coach is the individual who is assisting with the supervised driving time. They could be a parent, guardian, or any trusted licensed adult age 21 or over.

Supervised Driving Guide gives you a simple, easy-to-follow plan you can use to help your teen complete the minimum 50 hours of required driving time and to become a safe and responsible driver.

Some thoughts as you begin this exciting experience together:

Make an effort to enjoy the learning process: Driving is a big step toward independence, and your teen is entering a new phase of life. You’ll both remember this experience for years to come. Make it a good memory!

Practice, practice, and more practice: Studies show that the risk of a crash diminishes with experience. The more time you can spend driving with your teen, the less likely it is they’ll crash when they begin driving alone. Driving in a variety of circumstances is equally important. Make sure your teen gets exposure driving on a variety of roadways, as well as in different conditions: at night; in rain, fog, and snow; and in heavy traffic.

Be a driving role model: It may not be immediately evident, but your driving habits have unconsciously influenced your teen’s attitudes during their young life. Your teen watches what you do and looks to you for guidance. Be sure that you:

• Obey all traffic laws.
• Correct any unsafe driving habits (driving aggressively, rolling through stop signs, accelerating through yellow lights, speeding, etc.).
• Refrain from using your cell phone while driving.
• Always wear your seat belt, and remind your teen that buckling up is the law. This will need to be an ongoing conversation – everyone in the car should buckle up every trip, every time.

Tips for teaching your teen

• Teaching your teen how to drive takes patience and your full attention. If either of you are tired, angry, distracted or not feeling well, it’s best to postpone the driving lesson. Practice when you are both alert and ready to pay attention to each other.
• Before each session, discuss the goals of the day’s lesson.
• Before each new lesson, review what was learned during the previous lesson.
• Keep instructions simple and concise. Say where to go and what action to take. For example: “Drive to the corner and turn right.”
• The feedback you give should be calm, precise, and immediate. Be patient and alert at all times. Remember to give positive feedback when your teen succeeds!
• When your teen makes a mistake, which will happen often, don’t criticize. Remain calm and simply repeat the maneuver until it’s done correctly. To minimize their frustration, emphasize to your teen that mistakes are a normal part of learning.
• These lessons should be consistent with what is taught by your teen’s driving instructor. If you teach something differently, your teen will be confused and learning will be more difficult. If the lessons in this program are different from the instructor’s, contact them to clarify the discrepancies.
• Remember that students learn at different paces. Make sure your teen has mastered each skill before you move on to the next lesson, even if that means repeating a lesson several times. Patience and practice will pay off in the long run.
• Integrate night driving into as many lessons as possible.

Most importantly, make sure the vehicle you use for training is safe. Confirm that the brakes have been recently inspected, and check to make sure the tires have sufficient tread depth and inflation. It’s generally recommended that you not train in larger vehicles that lack stability control.