by Patricia Young

Created on: June 25, 2008

In order for your teenagers to become safe drivers, good driving skills should start early in life. Proud parents point out the traffic lights to their offspring, teaching them to recognize red, amber and green, and encouraging them to say the names of the colors as the lights change. Next come reading and numbers lessons as they teach their pre-schoolers to read the road signs Stop, Give Way, Exit, Detour, and speed signs 20,40,60,100 etc.

Sadly, most of the time, the lessons stop here. Sit down in the back and shut up' is the familiar cry from many parents during car trips.

An excellent start for our young children to become good drivers is to have total family participation in learning the road rules as you drive along. Speaking the maneuvers out loud as you make them is a good start eg. "I'm about to turn left, so I put on my left blinker giving sufficient warning to other drivers before the corner." The kids will love this involvement, and will soon be reminding you about using your blinkers and so forth.

High school driving skill programs are invaluable in preparing students for their licence. Unfortunately, when students get their licence, sometimes all sanity goes out the window. They imagine they have a License to Thrill' and they take their friends on daring joyrides boasting their newly gotten skills. But no, this driving game is a deadly serious one and the licence they have just received is really a License to Kill'.

In most large towns and cities there are Student Driver programs and Defensive Driver courses on offer to both new and existing drivers. These programs are held on purpose built facilities where students are taught driving skills incorporating braking on all surfaces, skid loops, and how to be in control as a driver in all situations. Peer pressure, aggression and frustration while driving are some of the major causes of accidents. During the course, students are taught methods of dealing with "Road Rage" influences and how to keep themselves under control at all times while driving.

So parents, do your newly licensed son or daughter a favor give them a gift voucher for a Defensive Driving Course. Instill into your teenagers the extreme importance of using responsible driving techniques. The consequences and guilt of causing a serious accident would continue to haunt them all their lives.

Your children learn most by example, your example. Life is so precious.

Learn more about this author, Patricia Young.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.