…never teach your children to drive! There’s no parent who isn’t paralyzed with fear when their children approach the age of seventeen. Not because they become ABBA-approved dancing queens, but the fact that they can legally drive! The child you literally taught how to eat and write are now capable of operating heavy machinery. I am really nervous and this is why I am going to use a driving instructor.
So how do you make peace with something like this? That’s right, you get an expert involved. Don’t make the mistake of undertaking the task of teaching your children how to drive. Stop at the red light, indicate before changing lanes, yadda yadda yadda. Theoretically, it seems quite basic, but it isn’t. Trying to teach without any experience can be dangerous for you, your child and the people around you. When it comes to teaching complete beginners, you are better off with hiring a professional driving instructor. Here’s why-
Learning how to drive doesn’t have a set recipe that a person can follow.
Teaching driving requires patience that you might not have. There is so much to grasp and losing your calm will do no one any good. Professional driving instructors are patient and friendly. No matter how nervous your child is, they have the right approach to handle all types of learners.
Experience & Qualification
Have you ever taught driving to anyone? If not, then there’s no rationale behind making your child the guinea pig. Driving instructors have the required experience and qualification to give driving lessons.
Structured Learning Program
An experienced driver finds driving quite straightforward. And, we can all agree that after a while it becomes part of your muscle memory.
This is why a structured learning program is essential to teach a complete novice. It solidifies their fundamentals and steadily builds confidence.
Customised Driving Lessons
No two people have the same learning style. Maybe you did a good job of teaching your eldest, but your younger child might require a different approach. A professional driving instructor customises driving lessons to match different learning abilities.
Latest Driving Rules and Regulations
You probably learned how to drive at least a couple of decades ago! In that time a lot has changed in terms of the rules and regulations of driving. Learning from a professional driving instructor ensures that your child is up-to-date with all the latest driving rules and regulations.
Proper Teaching Vehicle and Tools
There’s no doubt that your family minivan is practical and safe. But is it right for teaching your kids?
Usually driving instructors are equipped with dual-control teaching vehicles that ensure better control and safety. For instance, the instructors at Jason M Thorne use vehicles with high visibility signage to make it easily recognisable as a training car. Fellow drivers are much nicer when the spot a training vehicle.
Some driving schools also offer virtual driving lessons to ease students into actual driving.
Manual Vs Automatic
With the majority of vehicles being semi-automatic and automatic, your child needs to learn from someone who’s familiar with all kinds of transmissions. Professional driving instructors are well-versed with both manual and automatic vehicles.
It might not be possible for you to take time out from work to teach your children. Most driving instructors offer flexible timing to incorporate busy schedules. You can arrange a driving lesson as per your child’s convenience.
Getting driving lessons from a professional instructor is much more effective. Your child will be able to learn quickly and with less effort.
Apart from driving lessons, driving instructors also help students prepare for both theory and practical driving tests. If you want your children to pass their driving test in the first attempt, get a driving instructor involved.