Driving School Blog

When taking your teenager out for a practice drive, you will want to coach your child to assess and manage driving risks.  The following are some tips you can use as a guideline:

·         Look as far down the road as possible to uncover important traffic information in order to make the best driving decision.

·         See the big picture by maintaining proper following distances with the car in front of you and don’t tailgate.

·         Keep your eyes scanning and don’t stare.  Constantly check side and rearview mirrors and stay alert.

·         Leave yourself a way out of any traffic pattern and be prepared.  Surround your vehicle with space in front and at least on one side of the vehicle in order to escape collisions.

·         Make sure other drivers see you and use your turn signals and horn if necessary to warn other drivers.

Here are some things to keep in mind about adolescent development and driving.  Driving is far from a simple task for anyone.  It is a mix of decision making and motor responses controlled by specific brain areas.  Recent research on the brain has revealed that neural circuitry is not fully developed in decision-making areas until the mid-20s.  This may be one reason why teenagers and those up to the age of 25 are at high risk for accidents when they are behind the wheel.