Since 1967, teenagers in Texas were permitted to obtain a driver's license at the age of 16 provided they successfully complete an approved public school or commercial driver education training. Until 1997, this driver education training requirement could only be met if it was provided through instructors and schools certified by the Texas Education Agency. Driver education training schools cropped up in many areas and teenagers were taking their driver education training through their high schools, strip mall schools and more. When Did This Change? This changed in April of 1997, when the Department of Public Safety implemented rules based on legislation in 1995, providing for a parent taught driver education training that must still meet the driver training requirements necessary for licensing at 16. Parents must follow state-approved procedures and curriculum and use one of the state-approved courses that require at least 32 hours of classroom instruction and 14 hours of in-car instruction. But when it comes to parents handling the driver education training, some parents may be confused on what the best way to handle the training process. Should Parents Teach Teen Driving? There are arguments both for and against parents teaching their own children to drive. The arguments are a combination of personality and material. First and foremost, driver education training is about more than just putting in the time. It’s about teaching your child to be a safe driver. Parents want their children to be safe and teenagers do want to know how to drive. But what happens when the parent teacher or the teenager learner becomes impatient with each other? Some parents don’t understand how to teach or how to use learning theory to help their teenagers learn. Some teenagers don’t always listen well when it is their parents who are doing the talking. In these instances, parents handling the driver education training could lead to an enormity of issues that affect their teenager’s driving ability. Information Overload Parents should take the time to review the Department of Public Safety’s driver handbook long before they take up the mantle as their teenager’s driving instructor. There are many reasons for this, because adult drivers take a great deal for granted when they are driving. Why shouldn’t they? The standard parent driver has likely been driving for more than 20 years by the time their teenager is old enough to learn how to drive. They don't think about what the gauges mean. They don't think about what warning signs to watch for and with so many systems automated in vehicles today, they may not even remember which ones they need to watch. There is an amazing amount of knowledge that must be imparted during driver education training and while some of it may seem boring or redundant, it shouldn't be skimped on. Ultimately, the parent driver must recognize the information overload their teenager may be facing when it comes to driver education training. Review the material, take a defensive driving class and check out the parent education driving materials available through the Texas Education Agency. Before you attempt teaching your teenager to drive, it's important to respect what can happen. Don't be ashamed or dismayed if it seems like an overwhelming job. That’s why there are driver education training schools.
Danielle Rose is an executive with Traffic School Online http://www.driversedonline.com and a teen driver education expert. More information on how to help teens become safe drivers is available at
http://driversedonline.com/resources/articles/.
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