As a parent in the UK, you may be wondering when is the appropriate time to begin to teach some of the basics of driving to your child and when to start preparing them for eventually applying for their provisional licence. The truth of the matter is that you can actually start educating your children about driving from an early age. There are plenty of ways to teach your children about driving etiquette, safety, and basics without ever having them get behind the wheel of an automobile.
For example, even from a very young age, you can begin to explain to your children what various road signs mean, how traffic signals work, and driving basics about why and when you use your turn signals or why it is important to check your mirrors and blind spots when changing lanes. At the same time that you are slowly exposing them to some of these types of basics, the most important thing you can do to shape the future driving behavior of your children is to lead by example. If you speed excessively, drive over aggressively, and/or let your emotions get the best of you and commit acts of road rage while driving, there is a good chance that your children will mimic those types of behaviours once they start their own driving careers.
Aside from explaining particular driving basics to your children and demonstrating what safe defensive driving looks like, there are ways can children can practice some driving of their own that does not involve an automobile. For example, there is a company, Young Driver Electric Firefly, located in the UK that offers access to a two-seater electric car that is specifically designed to allow children aged five to ten an opportunity to practice and master some of the basics of driving. We even tested it out recently!
Also, if you are a golfer and you are teaching your child to golf, you can also have them drive the golf cart around the course to start to build some experience about how a vehicle moves, accelerates, and brakes. If your town or city has go-kart racing, this could be another way you expose your children to driving from an early age.
The point is, there are many ways that you can expose your children to some driving basics, safety, and etiquette long before they are ready to obtain their provisional licence once they are 15 years and 9 months old. However, once your son or daughter is ready to begin to prepare for obtaining a provisional licence, what can you do as a parent to best prepare them for success? And, once they have their provisional license, how can you prepare them for driving a car and taking driving lessons, the theory test, and the driving test once they turn 17? Your son or daughter may be eligible to start driving a car, taking lessons, and taking their driving tests at the age of 16 if they have the enhanced rate of the mobility component of Personal Independence Payment (PIP). Here are a few small steps you can take as a parent to better prepare your child for getting their driving licence.
- Get learner driver insurance: UK law mandates that provisional drivers have special insurance before they start driving on the open road.
- Teach them the basics: Many automobile basics can be taught from an early age and you can help facilitate their education by giving them minor tasks to do to help with vehicle maintenance. Here are some examples of some of the basics you can cover starting from any age to help prepare your child for driving and being a responsible owner of a motor vehicle.
a. Teach them the different gauges on the dashboard.
b. Show them how to fill the tank with petrol, clean the windshield, and check the oil.
c. Teach them how to fill the windshield wiper fluid.
d. Show them how to adjust the seats, mirrors, and steering wheel.
e. Teach them about automotive care and regular maintenance and cleaning.
f. Have them look over and/or read important information from the vehicle owner’s manual.
g. Help them decide if they are going to learn how to drive on a manual or automatic vehicle. - Find a quality driving school and hire a professional driving instructor: Spending the money to find a quality driving school and hire a professional driving instructor can help to make sure your son or daughter passes their theory and driving test on the first try. When it comes to driving instructors, you will want to make sure the instructor is approved by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), and if they have a declared grade, you may want to check to see what it is. If the driving instructor is not listed, you can contact the DVSA with the instructor’s name and ADI number to see if they are qualified. Once you verify their credentials, you can then decide to book lessons with that instructor.
- Encourage them to study for the driving theory exam: The driving theory exam is an essential part of the process of obtaining a driving licence. In addition to attending a proper driving school, your son or daughter should devote a good amount of time studying for the theory test. You should be able to obtain study materials from a driving school or from various online resources.
- Help them practice for the driving test: Before your son or daughter books their driving test, in addition to taking driving lessons from a certified DVSA driving instructor, they should get as much practice behind the wheel as possible. Allowing them to drive whenever possible, under your supervision, can give them the practice hours they need to build confidence, increase their comfort levels, and practice all the different driving skills that they will be tested on.
Disclosure: This is a featured post.