As a parent, ensuring your teen’s safety, especially when they begin driving, is likely one of your top priorities. Unfortunately, novice drivers face increased risks due to their limited experience behind the wheel. Providing thorough instruction and ample practice is key to reducing these risks and fostering safe driving habits. Every hour spent teaching your teen improves their safety and confidence on the road.
This blog outlines essential steps and tips to help you guide your teen driver effectively, including:
- Understanding the requirements for obtaining a learner’s permit.
- Learning about the provisional driver license process.
- Navigating driving restrictions under graduated driver licensing.
- Utilizing a practice driving log.
- Teaching basic and advanced driving skills and maneuvers.
Did You Know?
Oregon’s Driver Licensing Laws: Teens must complete 50 hours of supervised driving practice if they enroll in an Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT)-approved driver education course which typically is an 11 week course. Completing this requires practicing for about 45 minutes daily for 11 weeks.
Driver Education Advantages: Teens who pass an ODOT-approved driver education course can bypass the drive test at the DMV when applying for their license.
No Formal Driver Education? Teens without formal driver education must log 100 hours of supervised practice. This equates to over 30 minutes of practice daily for six months, and they will still need to take the DMV drive test.
Key Skills to Teach Your Teen
Here are some of the essential skills your teen will need to master for safe driving:
- Blind Spot Awareness: Learning to identify blind spots around the vehicle is crucial for preventing accidents.
- Lane Positioning: Choosing the correct lane position based on the driving environment is a critical skill.
- Effective Communication: Teach your teen how to safely communicate with other road users through signals, lights, and other methods.
- Step-by-Step Maneuvering: Breaking down complex driving maneuvers into simple commentary teachable steps can make learning easier.
- Emergency Preparedness: Equip your teen with strategies to handle common emergency situations, such as sudden stops, flat tire, or adverse weather conditions.
Benefits of ODOT-Approved Driver Education
Data shows that teens who complete a formal driver education course are less likely to receive traffic citations, be convicted of traffic violations, or be involved in fatal or serious injury crashes. Enrolling your teen in an approved program can provide structured learning and instill the confidence they need to navigate the road safely.
Teaching your teen to drive is both a responsibility and an opportunity to help them develop lifelong skills. By combining your guidance with formal driver education and plenty of practice, you can help ensure they become a confident, cautious, and capable driver.