PSA - That "idiot" driver on the road who is making you so mad....

[mikehn]

Just remember to stay out of the far left lane and everything will be just fine. When my son is old enough to drive, that is the first thing Im going to teach him.

 

[Feralpeg]

I am surprised the driving school didn't drive with her more. In MA (ages 21 and under)you are required to have 30 hours of classroom time, 12 hours of driving time and 6 hours of observation with your driving school. As the parent, you also have to turn in a log that shows dates and times that you drove with your child. It must have at least 30 hours.

That would have been true here if she were younger. Since she is 21, there is no minimum hours driving required. She just took the test, passed and got her license.

Oddly, the driving test was on a track in a parking lot. There were no other cars on the track. She never even made a right turn. She just made a series of three left turns to return to where she started out. She had to back up, pull into a parking space (bunch of cones) and do a K-turn. That was it. It explains a lot about the drivers in Florida!

 

[E&BMom]

We are going through the same thing right now. DD15 has her PERMIT (legally) and we have been practicing in parking lots for awhile. This week we have been driving on not that busy roads in the neighborhood and people have been tailgating her. She is going the speed limit but they still do it. It freaks her out and it makes it hard to drive with her. I just keep telling her to go the speed limit and try to not worry too much. It is kind of stressful!

 

[Kimmumum]

OP, I feel for you. We are going through the same thing.

DS was 15 in March, did 5 days of Rules of the Road then got his permit. WE are teaching him to drive. He will have the driving part of drivers ed at school in October. He has to have 50 hours with us (10 of which have to be at night). He will have 6 more hours at school. He also has to have his permit for 9 months before he can get his license.

Stay off of the sidewalks

 

[Imzadi]

It explains a lot about the drivers in Florida!

Maybe you can hire someone at the driving school by the hour to drive around and practice with her.

 

[Becky2005]

This has been interesting reading....I'm freaked a bit out myself since my DD *could* have her permit right now but due to circumstances, wasn't able to get it when she turned 15.

Now she can but I haven't the foggiest idea where to take her since there are several driving schools around here now. One I seem to like is Top Driver (anyone have experience with it?). One of her friends did use it & they liked it. I know they offer refresher courses for adults and fine-tuning ones if there is just one skill you need extra work on.

BUT I'm just dreading the 50 hours plus 10 at night because I won't have the extra brake pedal. I already use the imaginary one when DH drives.

Unfortunately, the school parking lot type of place to drive that my mom took us to, really doesn't apply now. There seems to always be cars at the schools now since our park district uses the grade schools too & HS always seems to have something going on. I think the driving school instructors would be the best ones for the merging on the interstate -- I have been driving a long time and STILL hate that since there are some of the older entrances, there is such a SHORT space to get on the actual interstate/tollway before you are in the exit lane again and it's hard to really merge if there is a lot of traffic.

I forgot about the cemetaries! I had never thought of it until I heard that recently and thought that makes sense.

I know around here you can get those magnetic signs that say new driver (or student) but I don't have a clue where people get them from.

 

[Sparx]

I just recently moved to a new town, but I'm still working in my hometown. I drive an hour to work and back. Part of it is down a separated highway (2 lanes on each side with a big median)

The most annoying thing I see is when people drive right next to each other in both lanes. I HATE that. The passing lane is something that needs to be explained to people evidently.

I don't generally get annoyed at other drivers, I'm a pretty passive driver. I'll wait my turn and I go the speed limit, but jeepers. it annoys me when people drive right next to each other.

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

In our area, everybody knows where the school's driver's ed course is. They have painted lanes on it, parking spots, etc. But no other drivers. It's always open, so that is where I first began learning to drive, and then it was side roads.

Those of you looking for places to start out, maybe see if your school has something similar?

 

[Feralpeg]

In our area, everybody knows where the school's driver's ed course is. They have painted lanes on it, parking spots, etc. But no other drivers. It's always open, so that is where I first began learning to drive, and then it was side roads.

Those of you looking for places to start out, maybe see if your school has something similar?

Most of the schools in this area have done away with their drivers ed programs. Prior to dopping them completely, they only used simulators. When my DD was still in school, the simulators were broken. There was no point in taking the class. The schools think it is too expensive to carry the class. They have to pay for the cars/simulators and insurance. The schools here can barely stay open due to budget cuts. Many teachers have been laid off, having a drivers ed program is at the bottom of the list of needs. Not good for young drivers in this area.

 

[aprilgail2]

In our area, everybody knows where the school's driver's ed course is. They have painted lanes on it, parking spots, etc. But no other drivers. It's always open, so that is where I first began learning to drive, and then it was side roads.

Those of you looking for places to start out, maybe see if your school has something similar?

They don't have anything like that around here. If you take drivers ed in school you are taken right out onto the neighboring streets. When I was young (about 21/22) I was looking for a part time job duringthe day since I worked full time at night and I saw a sign on a driving school- I walked in, took a 25 question test and the next day I was a drivers ed teacher at a local high school ! I had NO clue what to do or how to teach kids to drive, it was actually scary- they gave me a car and just said "just take them out and let them drive"- well some of these kids were never behind a wheel before, I quit that job really quick LOL.
I find it really frightening that a 15 year old child would even be offered a permit to drive, that is WAY to young IMO.

 

[Imzadi]

Most of the schools in this area have done away with their drivers ed programs. Prior to dopping them completely, they only used simulators. When my DD was still in school, the simulators were broken. There was no point in taking the class. The schools think it is too expensive to carry the class. They have to pay for the cars/simulators and insurance. The schools here can barely stay open due to budget cuts. Many teachers have been laid off, having a drivers ed program is at the bottom of the list of needs. Not good for young drivers in this area.

What about one of those defensive driving schools? After a person gets a ticket, they can reduce the points they get and their insurance rates, by taking one of those certified 3 hour courses. Maybe someone there will be willing to take DD out of a couple hours? I would think in this economy, people would be willing to make an extra buck to take DD out on the road, if you called up and asked if someone there is willing to tutor her.

 

[my3sonsagn]

This is one near and dear to us, too - my oldest DS will be 15 in Sept. He's been practicing a little bit in my Mom's pasture (here it's legal to do that so long at it's on private property - and with permission of the property owner, of course lol), but I am so dreading riding with him on the open roads! I've already told my DH that he gets the first 3-4 months of training him. Around here the driving school with the best rep throws kids right into one of the most difficult driving situations locally (entering a busy interstate from the left-hand side) and then works their way down... I guess they figure once that's out of the way it's all gravy. Personally, I think spending more time on the road teaching kids the right way to handle situations would greatly decrease teen accidents - how else are they going to learn?

Kind-of-OT-but-not-really - if you want a great laugh google Bob Newhart's "driving instructor" skit. Hilarious!

 

[Lanshark]

My husband went to a local sign shop and got a magnetic sign for the back of the car that reads "Student Driver". It was $15

When that is on the car people are a little more patient. When he forgets to put it on there is honking and finger flying if DS isn't moving fast enough.

 

[Darcy03231]

When I started teaching DD to drive we used business parking lots on Sundays. They were pretty empty.

 

[bumbershoot]

And the way some drivers treat the elderly is horrifying! I think you can tell the character of someone by the way they treat other drivers, I really do.

We have a grey Grand Marquis. People behind us either think we're grandpa or a cop. People show their characters by how they react to that car. It's been very eye opening.

Until she gets more experience and shows more confidence, I will continue to be a bad passenger. Yet, she can't get any experience because I won't ride with her. ARGH!!!!!

Are you doing the sudden intake of breath when she scares you? Try to not do that, it's not helpful. If she's doing something scary, try to tell her what she needs to do, in as neutral, calm, QUICK voice as you possibly can.

Also, do you have ANY friends or relatives that you could send out with her? My mom was borderline useless in teaching me to drive, and I had a late birthday so my DE course was after I was old enough to actually have my license, so I spent part of my summer taking paid-for driving courses. After that, I had a dad and stepdad who were better, and if they hadn't been around my mom could have drawn upon several friends, most likely the one who always parallel parked her car on the hill outside their house in San Francisco (she'd honk, double park, throw it into Park with the e-brake on, and he'd come out to park), to go out with me. For me, males helped much more than females. Do you have ANY friends, or spouses of friends that would help?

It's interesting what you said about her driving test. My brother learned to drive in Miami, and he is one of the best drivers I know. Always on alert, extremely defensive (and a bit offensive, LOL, but that's calming down the longer he's out of FL), and that's how he learned in Miami, though I dont' know if it was learned in his driving course. My brother later taught me to drive a stickshift, after my mom, stepdad, and dad all failed miserably in teaching me. The right teacher, even if they are your baby brother, is amazing!

Around here the driving school with the best rep throws kids right into one of the most difficult driving situations locally (entering a busy interstate from the left-hand side) and then works their way down... I guess they figure once that's out of the way it's all gravy. Personally, I think spending more time on the road teaching kids the right way to handle situations would greatly decrease teen accidents - how else are they going to learn?!

Then don't go to that school!



My husband got his permit but hadn't had the driving courses. His dad needed to drive a vehicle across country, from WA to NJ, one summer. Hubby drove quite a bit of the way, on the highway, and thinks fondly of the nice flat roads through North Dakota and other middle-states. That exreme experience helped him, and when he got back to school and had his driving course, he was by far the most experienced and best driver in the car (the teacher wouldn't let anyone else drive on the highway!).

 

[Feralpeg]

Are you doing the sudden intake of breath when she scares you? Try to not do that, it's not helpful. If she's doing something scary, try to tell her what she needs to do, in as neutral, calm, QUICK voice as you possibly can.

Also, do you have ANY friends or relatives that you could send out with her? My mom was borderline useless in teaching me to drive, and I had a late birthday so my DE course was after I was old enough to actually have my license, so I spent part of my summer taking paid-for driving courses. After that, I had a dad and stepdad who were better, and if they hadn't been around my mom could have drawn upon several friends, most likely the one who always parallel parked her car on the hill outside their house in San Francisco (she'd honk, double park, throw it into Park with the e-brake on, and he'd come out to park), to go out with me. For me, males helped much more than females. Do you have ANY friends, or spouses of friends that would help?

I'm sure I'm doing the breath thing as well as gripping the door handle. I wish I wouldn't, but it seems to be something I can't control. I'm working on it, however.

My sister has been helping a little. She is a bit better than me, but not much. DD's boyfriend is coming for a visit in a couple of weeks. Maybe, he can help. Unfortunately, most of her friends live too far away and I would rather not impose on my neighbors.

I already told her that if she doesn't improve or up her confidence level by the time her boyfriend goes home, I'm hiring the driving school to give her more driving time. In her defense, she has spent very little time on the roads. Including the driving lessons she took, she's probably drive less that 10 hours. Most kids drive a whole lot more than that before getting their license. I'm sure we'll get through this. I just hope it's before my hair turns totally grey!