Adventures in Teen Driving

How do you actually teach a teen to drive?

Think about it. We’ve been at it for a while. Driving is a learned skill that takes lots of practice (far more than the 50 hours required in my home of Illinois, and many other states). It’s a continual learning process because roadway situations and the driving environment is constantly changing. But you have to start somewhere.

Honestly, I don’t remember practicing driving with my parents. I’m the fifth of six kids. My mom was lucky to get my name right most of the time. I took driver’s ed classes at the local high school over the summer. I remember using the simulator a few times and driving the track a couple times. I know we practiced getting on and off the expressway exactly one time. I don’t have any recollection of driving with my mom or dad. Maybe my older siblings took me? I’ll have to ask at our next family dinner.

Author: Kathy Bernstein Harris is the Senior Manager for Teen Driving Initiatives at the National Safety Council. Follow Kathy as she shares her experiences teaching her own son to drive, from the perspective of a teen driving expert and a mom.