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Your teenager has reached the age where they can now officially learn to drive and, naturally, most will be extremely excited at the prospect and wanting to get behind the wheel of a car as soon as possible. It is quite likely that they will put pressure on you as a parent to teach them but is this wise or should you engage the services of a qualified instructor? For a variety of reasons the latter option is the most sensible.

The simple definition of the term qualified instructor confirms that this person has had to undergo stringent training before the can become certified to teach provisional and learner drivers. Unlike most parents they will have been trained how to respond quickly and safely if the learner driver makes a mistake. Furthermore, they will have some form of indemnity insurance that will adequately cover any risk. Parents, even if they have informed their insurance company that they are teaching a learner driver in their car, will not have the same level of insurance cover.

Instructors are impartial. This means that they will not be swayed from their task by emotional issues in the same way that parent and child might be. The child is likely to pay more attention to the instructor because there is not the same emotional attachment as there is between him or her and their parents.

Additionally, the child cannot learn bad driving habits from an instructor because they will not be in the same car as them on occasions other than the lesson. Similarly, few parents have the time or inclination to keep themselves updated as to the current best practices in regards to driving or indeed the current codes of driving. It is an integral part of the driving instructors licensing conditions that they maintain adequate knowledge of current regulations and information of this nature. Therefore their knowledge is current and appropriate.
Another important aspect is vehicle safety. An instructor's vehicle has to undergo stringent regular examination to ensure that it is roadworthy at all times. Whilst most parent's cars would be in a roadworthy, simple things like a failed light might be missed, whereas an instructor has to check such items every time they start a day's work. Another safety element that is included with a number of instructor's vehicles is a dual control system, which allows them to react if there is an impending danger.

For all of the above reasons the choice of hiring an instructor to teach your child to drive is the only one that makes sense in terms of safety and their future proficiency as a motorist.

Learn more about this author, Paul Lines.
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