It seems simple, right? Your child turns 15 and starts learning to drive. (If they’re interested and if you want them to.) At 16, or some time thereafter, they take a test and get a driver’s license.
It’s not that simple. My daughter is 16 1/2 and just got a learner’s permit. Admittedly, this is largely because of busyness and procrastination on our part. However, the system doesn’t make it any easier. Twice we’ve gone to a licensing office and been turned away because we were there at the wrong time or asking for the wrong thing.
Learning to drive in Washington
Here’s what I’ve learned, in addition to the obvious fact that much has changed since I was a teen in small-town Oregon:
Start early
The first step for anyone under 18 is taking a driver’s ed class. There are many schools, in many locations, with many schedules. There are in-person and online options. If your family is at all busy (and whose isn’t?) this might contribute significantly to the puzzle that is your life. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. FYI: There’s a lot of variety. You can choose a class with a fairly easy schedule that lasts several months, or a super-compressed one that will get done much sooner if you can manage the big immediate time commitment. (My child will be at her computer from 6-8:20 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday for about a month.)
Register for the class first
Once you’ve registered, then take proof of registration (plus the necessary identification) to a licensing office to procure a learner’s permit. Do not wait too long to do this, but also: Do not do this too soon. You can’t get the learner’s permit more than 10 days before the class starts.
Understand your insurance
Nothing has to change right away. My insurance company told me we are fine until we actually have an additional, licensed driver to report. (And then, it’s not going to be pretty. When I asked for a ballpark figure of what we’d be paying, the first estimate was a tripling of our current premium. Factoring in good-student discount and a few other programs through our insurer might bring us down to just double what we pay now.)
Know what to expect from the classes
Now comes the big time commitment and, whether virtual or in person, most courses require that a parent attend at least part of the first class. You’ll want to schedule life carefully to make driver’s ed a priority as scheduling makeup classes will be one more complication.
Our daughter has already said that all of her friends declared the classes “boring,” so we’ll be keeping a close eye on her. (Also, I just learned that attendance will be taken three times during each class. These people know what they’re doing!)
In addition, most driver education courses involve 30 hours of classroom (or Zoom) education plus five hours of driving. Schools had been warning that, due to staff shortages, drive time could be tricky to schedule. This seems to be getting a little better, though.
Learning to drive: tips for parents
And this brings us to the biggie: practice.
Even though you’ve hired someone to do most of the teaching, you need to provide time for your new driver to practice. They need to log 50 hours of supervised driving, at least 10 of those hours at night. This will mean guiding and coaching as they go. This is a daunting experience (OK, harrowing), but there’s a lot of advice out there. Here’s some that I found online:
- I love this one from Liberty Mutual. Among other things, it says, “Don’t say things like, ‘You’re going to get us killed!’”
- State Farm outlines a step-by-step process based on essential skills and knowledge.
- Vanderbilt Health talks about fitting the learning process to your teen’s comfort level and particular skill set.
Most of those are a little on the vague, touchy-feely side, but this article from a mom and driving instructor in Virginia offers a step-by-step, nuts-and-bolts guide to teaching someone to drive. It’s her opinion, of course, but it seems solid and practical.
Which one of you should teach?
Also, more than one person has told me that, in a two-parent family, it will often become clear which parent is better suited to this task. (However, the Vanderbilt article mentioned above touts the advantages of having more than one instructor.) Just something to keep in mind. Good luck!
More for parents of teens:
What to know about online bullying, cyberthreats
