by Angel Sharum

Created on: August 25, 2009

Learning to drive is a milestone in every teenager's life. Your son or daughter probably started bugging you to get behind the wheel the minute they turned old enough to be legal. If you've been putting off teaching your teenager how to drive, stop! It doesn't have to be a stressful, dreaded experience. Follow the steps outlined here to teach your teenager to drive and the experience will be rewarding for all involved.

Pick up a copy of the drivers training manual for your state from the local Department of Motor Vehicle Safety Division. Have your teen spend time each day studying the manual in preparation of the permit test. After a week of studying, look through the book and ask your teen questions to see how much information they are retaining. If he can answer all of your questions successfully, take him for the learner's permit test. If he is missing quite a few, allow whatever extra amount of time needed for study until he is able to answer questions to your satisfaction.

Teach your teenager about all the basic functions of a vehicle. Show them how the wipers, blinkers, lights and seat adjustments work. Go over mirror usage and climate controls. Explain how the defroster and hazard lights work, along with any other general information he or she needs to know to operate the vehicle safely.

Find an empty parking lot if possible to begin to teach your teenager to drive. Empty parking lots are good because they have enough space and you can set out orange construction cones or use chalk to outline sections for driving instruction. Use the cones or draw chalk outlines to represent the following: a box to practice backing into, a place to parallel park, and a stop line for braking practice.

Begin the lesson by having your teenager drive forward at a rate of speed between ten and fifteen miles an hour and stop when you say so. This is one of the task performed during driving test, so all teens should learn and be prepared for it. If he or she does not stop quickly, redo the test by having them back up to the start position. It is imperative they hit the brakes quickly and stop the car as fast as possible. This is a technique used to prevent accidents when people run out in front of cars. It helps build the reflexes that allow for faster stopping in emergencies.

Practice correct backing techniques when teaching your teenager to drive. Have him pull forward to the stop line, and then back up slowly, using the side and front

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