It is essential that you ensure your teenager is equipped with the maturity that is required to be a responsible driver.  The privilege to drive a car comes with the requirement of exercising good judgement.  It's important to properly assess whether you feel that your teenager can resist peer pressures from friends who may wish to abuse the opportunity.  You will also need to determine whether your teenager understands the concept of safe driving, and this should be done long before they even begin training.

Driving requires more than the skill to properly manage a car on the road; drivers need to possess a strong sense of responsibility for themselves and others.  Make sure that your teenager understands the seriousness of being attentive and focused while driving.  If you are concerned about how to properly teach your teenager how to drive, consider enrolling them in a driver's training program, where they will be required to pass a series of tests and receive private training from a professional.  Use this opportunity to evaluate whether you feel your teenager is acting responsibly enough to drive once the program ends.  This way, you can rest assured that they have received thorough instructions and education on safe driving and what is expected of them on the roads.

You know your teenager better than anyone else, and making the ultimate decision as to whether you feel comfortable with their skills, behaviour and ability will be one you must make with extreme care and caution.  The number of accidents relating to teenage drivers who were not prepared or responsible is staggering and seems to increase with every year.  Parents need to be active and to teach their teenagers about safety concerns and the consequences should they rebel. Just because your child is legally old enough to drive does not mean that they are 'mature' enough. 

If you do decide to allow your teenager to obtain a driver's license consider putting a few restrictions on them until they have demonstrated that they are responsible behind the wheel.  Perhaps limit driving at night, or disallow it all together for a time.  Limiting the number of passengers that they are allowed to have in the vehicle until they are more experienced is also a good way to gradually open up the door to more freedom.

Overall, it's important to teach your teenager that being able to drive is a privilege, not a right and it is one that can be revoked, both by government and by parent, at any time.

by Rachel Goodchild

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