UGHHHHH – July and August just before school starts we get inundated with requests to “get driver training done – and oh by the way, we need to do it between vacation and school starting.” That is possible at some schools – it isn’t possible at DrivingMBA. If your objective is to have them get their license so they can get their parking permit, I would ask you to consider the implications of that decision.

If you truly want your child to develop skill it takes time and “getting it done” in a few weeks is impossible. The mindset that drivers ed is a box that gets checked off a list is based on an antiquated driver education model.

Getting it done during the summer was what we used to do, but times have changed. Driving is more complex. Vehicles are faster and while the safety features in vehicles today are significant, cars doesn’t provide the sensory feedback they once used to – a little shaking, rattling and rolling when we were going too fast. Today drivers are lulled into a sense of security until it is too late.

There are levels of skill that need to be developed.

• Those skills range from an understanding of the rules of the road and the application of those rules in the real world to basic driving skills.
• Basic skills include hand and foot control, steering control, lane management, turns, lane changes, point of no return, and the list goes on.
• Defensive and strategic driving skills are yet another level of skill for drivers to develop, first and foremost scanning and being aware of the ever changing environment.

These are the skills that can save their life and judgement and decision making are at the core. Learning how to judge if there is enough time and space to make a safe left turn is a significant skill. If their judgement is off, the consequences can be devastating.

Ask yourself, is the parking permit really worth risking putting your child on the road before they are really ready?

More about our teen driver training programs.