space and visibility for teenage drivers

bigmistake

Well-Known Member
I will be teaching my 15 year old daughter how to drive soon. To those of you that taught your kids how to drive, did you use the space and visibility you are privy to due to your position.

Any advice in general, I'm very nervous letting her get behind the wheel.
 

Box

Handle with Care
When i learned to drive, i started in a giant, empty parking lot.

Is she gonna be on the street for her first time driving?
 

grgrcr88

No It's not green grocer!
I have a 16 year old and a 14 year old, I too was nervous about letting my babies out in the world!! I absolutely used the safety training that UPS drills into me on a daily basis, I brought home the question and answer sheet from both the 10 point commentary and the seeing habits, had the kids read over them. I do not expect them to recite them like UPS does, but as we drive and I ride in the passenger seat I use every opportunity to repeat them. When we pull up to an intersection I always remind them to look l,r,l and check mirrors for example. I make sure that they are far enough behind cars ahead that they can see everything going on and have time to react. After repeating these things several times while they are driving, and making sure they are following them, they seem to be getting it!! I think it has worked well, say what you will, the methods UPS trains us to use can and will make you a safer driver if followed!!
 

rod

Retired 22 years
Both of my kids learned how to drive out on a big frozen lake when they were in their early teens. We made our own roads to practice on. Once they mastered the basics I let them drive around while I fished. They had a lot of time behind the wheel before they actually drove on a real road and as a plus they were both excellent winter drivers. My daughter took her drivers license test the day after we had received 15 inches of snow and the streets were filled with mounds of snow from the plows. The examiner praised her for even showing up as most everyone scheduled to take the road test that day had called in and cancelled. She got a 92 out of a 100 and passed with flying colors.
 

dillweed

Well-Known Member
Yep, it's darned hard teaching young ones to drive. They just don't seem ready for such responsibility, do they? I'm sure our parents were also afraid for US.

I helped my niece a few years ago and also mentioned some of the seeing habits. Aim high in steering was one I used a lot. It really helped me stay in centered my lane while driving the pkg car. I also used the intersection rules as far as waiting 1, 2, 3 before proceeding. Take that extra couple seconds for safety. Don't know if I had much influence but she's a great driver now.

One thing with a teenager, their little minds are so busy doing teenager things that they often seem distracted and/or impatient with what you're saying. Somehow or another it seems to sink in.

The frozen lake training sounds ideal! What a great idea.
 

menotyou

bella amicizia
Our cottage road is a private road, so my uncles would put me on their lap and let me steer. That graduated to being able to drive to the end of the road and walk to the store across the street. When I was 15, my Dad took me every weekend to our local high school and drive the car we had at the time. It was stick. Dad said if I could drive that, I could drive anything. It did take that many weekends, and I was more than ready for my driving test.
I don't have kids, so, that why I have to tell my story.

Good luck.
 

moreluck

golden ticket member
In Idaho, kids could get their license at 14. When my oldest was 14, she was a very responsible teen and she got her license. Her dad taught her all the UPS stuff and she was a great driver and still is.

A couple years after that, my son became 14 and thank goodness we were moved because there was no way in hell he was ready for a license. He had to be 16 in the new state.

I think Idaho has such a low age because of all the kids on farms and the need to drive farm equipment.
 

Old International

Now driving a Sterling
Yes, It will help. Please teach your daughter how to drive a stick shift. Also tell her that car crashes are the #1 killer of teenagers, and to be careful, ALWAYS.....
 

moreluck

golden ticket member
A big problem with teens is the texting & driving. Someone sent me some pictures of a crash that took place while a guy was texting and ran his car into the rear end of a semi. Horrible, horrible......but they do get the point across. You look down at the text, you're not seeing what's happening in front of you.....and split seconds can mean death.

If anyone wants that e-mail with pics., just P.M. your e-mail to me and I'll send them.
 
A

anonymous6

Guest
Start with the basics....the pretrip, especially how important brakes and tires are.

The parking lot is a good place to start. Also take them on rides while you are driving and explain the 10 pt and 5 seeing habits until you are blue in the face.They might get irritated but I have 4 grown children who have been driving from 5 to 19 years with NO accidents.

I let my kids drive in the woods before the streets and looked for downed trees to buck up for firewood. so it was win-win.

good luck.
 

ups1990

Well-Known Member
By all means, please use UPS's safe driving habits while teaching your loved ones to operate a vehicle. I had my daughter study the CA driving manual for her written exam, but used exclusively the 10pt commentary and the 5 seeing habits for all her behind the wheel instruction. These rules have kept many of us safe throughout the years and will continue to keep future UPS drivers alive on the road. Not only would I make them a requirement for teen drivers but for all licensed drivers.
 
I agree with G88. When I was through teaching my daughter she was qualified to drive a package car. Same thing, don`t recite verbatim but demonstrate the knowledge.

Before she could get her license she also had to do an oil change and explain what she was doing, be able to change her own tire, and open the hood to check all the fluids as well as point out what the different parts are. I don`t expect her to have to do these things but I do want her to at least know how. It`s already paid off as one of her friends was all set to call for a tow truck and my daughter pointed out it was just a dead battery and got her jumped and back on the road.
 

flushingCenterSucks

Active Member
i would tell her to keep her eyes moving, learn to use the mirrors and spacing. also, never just take it for granted that the other guy is going to stop, even if you have the right of way !
 
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