We discuss how you can assist your children in learning to drive.

1. The Parent’s Guide
to Helping Young
Drivers
THIS GUIDE PROVIDES SOME TOP
TIPS ON HOW TO HELP YOUR
CHILDREN LEARN TO DRIVE AND
REMAIN IN CONTROL.

2. The parent’s guide to helping
young drivers.
Learning to drive is a rite of passage for most teenagers. It’s one of their
first steps into adulthood and provides their first taste of freedom.
However, this event can also be a serious time of tension for a family.
Teenagers are often very eager to learn quickly whilst parents can
sometimes be more keen to takes things slowly.
First steps
 Before young drivers even begin to learn to drive it is important that
you are a good driving role model for them. If they see you with road
rage or driving badly then they will think it’s acceptable for them to
drive in the same manner. Be especially conscious of your driving
when young drivers are in the car by making sure you indicate
correctly and never take chances coming out of junctions, etc. This will
ensure that they follow your example.
 If your child is really eager to learn to drive then you can begin to talk
them through the basics before they can take lessons. This way they
will see you as a supportive figure and as someone to learn from. You
could also enrol your child in special driving lessons for youngsters.
The SEAT Young Drivers scheme gives 11 to 16 year olds a chance to
develop their driving skills before they venture onto public roads.
These lessons will help young drivers develop safe skills from an early
age.

3.  Keep calm
Never lose your cool or raise your voice
when in the car with a learner driver,
this will not help the situation and it
could place the young driver under
Top tips additional stress.
 Let young drivers take the wheel
It can be a very whenever possible
unnerving If you are popping down to the shops,
experience to be let your child drive. This will provide
them with as much supervised driving
a passenger of a experience as possible.
learner driver so
follow these tips
 Talk about your driving
to help ease the If you are driving then you should talk
tension. through what you are doing and point
out all the hazards on the road. This
will turn every driving experience into
a learning experience. Alternatively
you could get the young driver to talk
through their driving and what they
plan to do next. This will force them to
think about their techniques and will
make you aware of what they intend to
do next – so there are no surprises!
 Offer constructive advice
There is a fine line between
constructive advice and being a back
seat driver. Make sure you are helping
the learner driver and not creating any
additional stress.

4.  You could enrol them in a Pass Plus
scheme which helps new drivers
improve their skills. This will teach
After young them how to drive under different
conditions, for example, at night and
drivers pass on urban and rural roads, dual
their test carriageways and motorways.
 Buy your child ‘P’ plates. These signal
to other road users the driver is a new
Once your child driver. Hopefully this will result in
passes their test other drivers being more patient with
there are still the new driver, not honking their horn
many things you
etc. This helps ease pressure on the
new driver.
can do to help
them.
 If you decide to get your child their
own car make sure that this is a
suitable model for their abilities. Don’t
pick a car with a big engine size
because you don’t want to give them
too much speed. Pick a small car so
that mobility is easy for parking etc.
Young driver insurance premiums are
often high so pick a car that will not
cost a fortune to insure them on. You
could also look into multicar insurance
quotes for your family cars which could
reduce the overall costs.
 Fill out a parent/young driver contract.
This sets in place rules which both you
and your child will follow. You can find
an example on the next page.

5. Parent/Young Driver Contract
Parent Young Driver
I will: I will:
 Always follow traffic laws.
 Always follow traffic laws .
 Be a responsible driver.
 Be a responsible driver.
 Look after the condition of the
 Stay calm when you are car I drive.
driving.  Tell you where I intend to
 Offer constructive advice.
drive to and when I expect to
be home by.
 Not nag you about your  Only allow 1/2/3 passengers in
driving. my car. [circle the number
 Be available to collect you or
agreed]
 Make sure my passengers and
provide you with money I always wear a seatbelt.
home for a taxi if you decide  Never to text or use my phone
to drink whilst out with whilst driving.
friends, so that you do not  Never accept a lift from a
have to drive the car home. driver who has been drinking,
And I will ask no questions. I will call you instead.
 Not drive at night/ Only driver
from __am to __PM. [fill out
as appropriate]
Signed by ____________ Signed by ____________
(parent) (young driver)