Is Your Teen Ready To Begin Driver's Training?

"Experience teaches only the teachable" ~ Vernon Law

Did you ever hear the story about the man who was so eager for his son to begin Driver's Ed that he rushed over to the driving school before classes were scheduled to start?

"You really didn't need to do that," said the school administrator. "Your son could have given that to the instructor on the first day."

"I couldn't trust my son with that check," the father answered.

I wonder what made dad think that his son would be anymore trustworthy behind the wheel of a two thousand pound guided missle. Just because parents have tossed more than 180 calendar pages into the trash since their youngster was born does not automatically mean the kid is ready to drive.

You've got to consider three things before putting your teen on the cold, cruel road.

1. Is your teen able to control the vehicle?

• Does he/she have sufficient size and strength to operate the controls?
• Good vision?
• Good reflexes?
• Good coordination?
• The ability to process information quickly, weigh risks, and arrive at good split second conclusions?

2. Is your teen willing to learn? Can he memorize traffic laws and then apply that knowledge to real life conditions while operating the car?

3. Is your teen emotionally mature? Can she handle setbacks while remaining cooperative with you, the instructor, and other drivers?

If your child is not ready, it's better to wait before beginning driver training. Although your teens may interpet such delay as punishment you are giving them time to mature and develop to the point where they can drive right.

You're not doing them (or the world) any favors by letting them drive too soon. I'm sure you don't want to kill your teen with 'kindness'.