Thriving in Driving

Thriving in Driving: 3 Tips For Learning to Take the Wheel

“New Driver.” Two of the scariest words you’ll ever hear. When it was my turn to take on driving, I got my permit the day after my 16th birthday like most excited teens. But I soon saw how scary the real deal is. I remember thinking, “How can you manage two pedals and keep a grip on the steering wheel and turn on the windshield wipers and get to your favorite music station, all at the same time?” I was a little overwhelmed, to say the least. Driving is one of the most necessary, but also horrifying, things we learn. While there are rumors of self-driving and maybe even flying cars to come, for now we all must learn how to drive in a car ourselves. Yet, to hand over the wheel of a precious and pricey vehicle to a young and still immature teen seems crazy and beyond scary. How do you even go about teaching someone how to drive? How can you instill in him or her the great responsibility they are being given even as you seek to not scare them out of learning? I went through this process not too long ago and learned many things along the way that I hope will help both teens and their driving instructors (most likely parents) as they enter this new phase of life. Here are three tips in particular: 

 You can’t learn to drive unless you do it. 

 You can’t learn to drive unless you get into the car, turn it on, and start driving. And keep driving––until you have learned how to drive. This may seem obvious, and yet, it is scary to put the kid behind the wheel (or to be the kid behind the wheel). It is so easy to only let a teen drive that one country road, once a month, since it's the safest. This reality actually hindered me in my driving. I would drive once-a-week or even less, because I would only drive in the best of circumstances: no bad weather, no one in a rush, light traffic, easy route, etc. But I was not making good progress in my learning because I was not practicing consistently. I remember one time in particular, driving on a trip with my family after not having driven for two weeks. My lack of consistency ended in me almost turning left into oncoming traffic, and then bursting into tears. 

 While new drivers do not have to drive every time they're in the car, they must drive as much as possible in order to progress steadily. If a drive ends in tears or raised voices or hitting things like mailboxes, take a break for the day. But get back in the driver’s seat the next day. 

 Don’t compare yourself to other new drivers. 

 The process for learning how to drive seems straightforward: everyone goes through the six months or so of driving, the waiting period, maybe driving with an instructor, and finally the test to get a license. Yet this straightforward process can also be a hindrance to new drivers. What if some teens need longer than six months to get all their hours? What if they have all their hours but are struggling with parallel parking? It’s hard for a teen to see her friends all getting their licenses while she’s still getting her hours. But that’s ok. This is not a process that can be rushed, and we can’t compare our progress with others’. It took me about a year and a half after I got my permit to get my license. But I needed all that time to learn and be confident in driving. 

 Don’t compare to other drivers. We all learn at a different pace, but if we persist in learning in the way that’s best for us, we will get it eventually.

 Take baby steps. 

 What is the best way to learn and teach driving? In small steps. My parents took me on a slow path of progress that was extremely helpful in getting me to where I am now. I started out simple: in a parking lot driving in circles. I learned the basics of how to work the car, how to use the steering wheel, and how not to hit anything. Very important things. Then a few days later, I left the parking lot, and drove a small road next to it. Soon after, I could drive a two lane road, then a four lane. When it was time to take the big step of getting on the highway, my parents actually had an older friend of ours take me for the first time. That way, I had someone who was calm and not a family member. I did this a few times until I was able to drive the highway with my family in the car. Then I started getting the majority of my hours on family road trips. As I got closer to being done with my hours, my dad taught me how to parallel park (using recycling bins, back in the parking lot, and then eventually next to real cars). Even after I got my license, I still needed to take more steps to grow in confidence.

 Don’t try to teach everything at once, or attempt the hardest task first. Start simple, and add to the challenge as the drivers’ confidence and ability grows. 

 Take these tips into learning and teaching, but above all, pray. Parent or teacher, entrust yourself, your child, and your car to God. New driver, look to God for strength in driving. Then drive! Oh, and make sure to watch out for that mailbox in your rearview mirror.