Safe Young Drivers: A Guide for Parents and Teens. Phil Berardelli
for someone who has just turned 16 to possess good driving skills. There has not been enough time for those skills to appear, and if a teenager doesn’t have good skills, what is he or she doing on the road? This is why I think all parents must decide, not whether their teen is ready to drive at 16, but whether he or she is ready to learn to drive.
In my own case, I faced a different situation with each of my daughters. One was ready at 16—to learn. She was a bright kid, level-headed, mature for her age. She possessed the mental discipline needed to learn the rules of the road quickly. She could focus her attention and listen carefully. She had excellent hand-eye coordination. She had been a ballet dancer. She was a fair athlete.
Shortly after her 16th birthday we visited the DMV and acquired her learner’s permit. About six months later, after almost daily instruction and practice, she obtained her license.
My other daughter presented me with a difficult dilemma. She, too, was very bright, as well as compassionate, caring and much fun to be with, but there were certain things, during that stage of her development, that worried me: She was late frequently. She had trouble staying organized both in her schoolwork and in her personal life. She also was somewhat forgetful, and she was a little uncoordinated when she played sports.
None of these things was serious, and all are common traits in a developing teen, but driving demands concentration and control. If my daughter’s physiological development didn’t yet meet the requirements of driving, in my judgment, then as a responsible parent I would have to make her wait. It wasn’t easy, because I knew it would hurt her feelings. Nevertheless, I did it. She didn’t obtain her license until after her 18th birthday.
As a consolation for the wait, I bought her a car, a 1975 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme, with a massive steel frame and 16-inch wheels—a tank. She learned to drive in this behemoth and kept it for a year after she obtained her license. During that time, she had three collisions, all minor but nevertheless her fault. She has had none in the years since, but had she been driving at a younger age, she might have had more.
The two-year delay became a trying time for both of us, but I remain convinced I made the right decision. I am grateful that her early mishaps were not more serious. I feel deeply for parents who have had to deal with the worst—and I have met several.
This is not to say everyone should be made to wait. It’s just that I want to encourage all parents with driving-age teens to approach this subject with care and contemplation. There may be no simple criteria for making this decision, but if you determine that your child is not ready, if he or she has not yet exhibited the necessary level of attention, maturity or self-discipline, then there is a simple answer. It is a two-word answer, very difficult to utter, but perhaps the most important, loving, caring words you can say: “Not yet.”
The Learner’s Permit
As already mentioned, not all states require supervised instruction before granting a driver’s license. My own recent Web search revealed that only one state—Oregon—requires the recommended 100 hours (50 if the teen has received driver’s ed.), and only 19 require 50 hours or more.
In other words, in the majority of states, there is no mandate that a young driver spend a reasonable amount of supervised time behind the wheel before attempting to obtain his or her license. Not surprising, almost all the states with the loosest licensing procedures have the highest crash rates for teens. Amazing to consider. All the more reason, then, to pursue a thorough instruction program of your own.
In addition, learner’s permit or not, it’s a good idea to obtain a driver’s manual from your state department of motor vehicles. Your teen should study it even before you both begin using the material in the next part of this book.
Before You Move the Vehicle
Teens typically are so anxious to begin driving that they don’t want to learn much about the contraption they will be using in their newfound freedom. Girls especially are averse to learning the details. As the father of two daughters, I can say this with authority, but it’s important to know the basics about an automobile or whatever vehicle will be driven. So, before the lessons begin, make sure your teen spends some time studying the machine.
No need for an extensive course; for one thing, few of us possess such knowledge these days. Modern vehicles are highly complex machines. All new ones carry much more onboard computer power than the Apollo spacecraft of the early ‘70s. Not much do-it-yourself maintenance is advisable anymore. Still, it’s useful to give youngsters an understanding of what’s under the hood, what does what, and which components require periodic checking. This all may seem obvious to you, but to most teens, everything is strange and new. So an introduction is in order.
In most models, the owner-maintenance components are clearly marked: the oil dipstick, transmission fluid dipstick, brake and power steering reservoirs, radiator expansion tank and windshield-washer fluid tank. Drive belts also are important, and when broken they can be a source of serious trouble. Take some time to go over the function of each of these components. If you need help, use your owner’s manual.
Inspect the tires and, if you know how, demonstrate how to check the tire pressure (best done when the tires are cold).
With the hood still open, start the engine. Show the power plant at work to give a sense of the energy at the driver’s command. Then turn the engine off and let the youngster sit in the driver’s seat. Go over all of the vehicle’s controls, from the gas and brake pedals (and clutch, if applicable) to the gearshift, lights, turn signals, wiper controls, ignition switch, heating and air conditioning controls, and so on. Again, if you need help, use the manual.
Also discuss the instruments. Pay particular attention to the three critical gauges (or warning lights). A warning from each requires a different response. The important ones monitor temperature, oil level and battery power (“Boil, Oil, Coil”). We’ll discuss these items later; for now, just point them out.
You also should discuss the fuel gauge. Most fuel gauges don’t give true readings. When the tank is full, the needle moves above the “F” mark. When the needle indicates halfway, the tank usually is only one-third full, and when most gauges read “empty,” they are not quite empty—though it’s still advisable to refuel well before the gauge hits that point. Also, sometime early during the lessons, stop at a service station and demonstrate how to fuel up.
Don’t forget to open the glove compartment and show the vehicle registration card and owner’s manual. The teen should spend some time reading and studying the manual. It contains lots of useful information, and this is a good time to begin learning about vehicle maintenance and care.
Last, let your teen turn the key and start the engine.
Today’s vehicles have many different starting procedures, so you will have to fill in the specifics. Most modern ignition systems are electronic, so there’s no need to depress the gas pedal while starting; just turn the key all the way to the start position, wait until the engine catches, and release. Older models might need some help from the gas pedal.
The same goes for shutting the engine off. Sometimes you need to depress a on the steering column before you can remove the key.
The main thing to teach is that, as soon as the engine starts and the key is released, the key should never be turned to the starting position again. If you’ve ever done this, you know why. The noise is awful, because the gear teeth on the starter motor are jamming into the gear teeth on the engine crankshaft.
You might even want to let your teen try a double start one time, just for the experience. It’s usually enough to persuade anyone not to do it again, but maybe not. In any event, practice the engine start several times, until the act becomes comfortable.
Be sure your teen understands where the gearshift position should be when the engine is started (“Park” on an automatic, and either neutral or first gear, with the clutch depressed, on a manual transmission). Make sure the parking brake is engaged before starting up.