Learning to drive takes years of practice. Taking the time when your child is young to go over the rules of the road will help to ingrain the laws into their minds before they are actually old enough to drive. The time to begin talking to your children about the right-of-way, speed limits, different road signs, and driving safe and smart is when your children are young, even as young as four or five years old, and not simply when they are approaching the age of driving. Here are a few tips on teaching children to drive.

1.) When making a left hand turn with oncoming traffic (not a protected turn with a green arrow) tell your children you have to wait your turn because the vehicles approaching you have the right-of-way (it is their turn to go). Then on your next trip ask your child(ren) during a similar situation, “Who has the right-of-way?” Keep doing this in different situations to help them learn this concept.

2.) Talk about the different road signs such as Yield, Pedestrian Crossing, Stop, and signs without words, such as slippery when wet, deer crossing signs, and falling rock zones. This will familiarize them with the meaning of the sign and reinforce the shapes, letters, numbers, and color of the signs.

3.) Talk about the dangers of speeding. Young drivers vary rarely think about the ramifications of driving too fast. As people get older (at least a large majority of drivers) realize that wrapping your car around a telephone pole is not exactly the best thing to do. Discuss speed during various road conditions such as snow, ice, rain, and even during dry conditions or periods of heavy traffic. Different levels of light can also affect how fast you should drive, so take time to discuss how you reduce your speed at night. You will also want to discuss the dangers of talking on a cell phone, texting, eating, or doing anything else that prevents the driver from concentrating on driving.

4.) Talk about drinking and driving. This is a huge issue in our country and working to teach your kids early is the best defense. Talk to them about the dangers of driving impaired and not riding with anyone under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Starting with the right mindset may prevent a cave-in during a period of teen peer pressure. Always provide your children a ride if they call with a request for one because they don’t trust their driver. Then discuss (the next day) the decisions they made and how the situation could have been avoided. Perhaps eliminating the driver as trustworthy and not allowing your child to go out with them while the other teen is driving.

5.) As your child approaches the driving age, provide them lots of practice. This may not always be easy with high gas prices and busy schedules, but the more practice your child has the better driver he or she will become. Set limits, rules, and expectations to reinforce what you have been teaching from an early age.

Starting young is the best way to begin teaching your children to drive. Ten or more years of discussion can lead to a good end result—safe driving habits. Be prepared to answer questions, review traffic laws by visiting your states department of motor vehicles web site, and give ample real-world examples and verbal learning while your children are young. Set the example by practicing good driving habits and driving safely.

Do you have any questions or tips for teaching your children to drive? Feel free to post questions and stories of your experiences.