Getting ready to start classes and get your teen drivers license? Congratulations! I’m sure you’re nervous, excited, and have a lot of questions. Hopefully this will help you understand what to expect while getting your teen drivers license and the educational requirements to obtain it.
First things first, choosing a driving school
Most public high schools no longer offer driver’s education courses. This means you’ll have to decide for yourself where to take your driving lessons.
For the classroom portion, you have a couple of different options. You can take it in the traditional setting with a teacher, or you can do it online. A classroom setting is a bit more intimate, but can also be very pricey. An online course typically is very interactive and does a great job for a fraction of the price. If you decide to go the online driving school route, I recommend this online driver’s education course.
When it’s time to get behind the wheel, you’ll still need to choose a local student driver school. Most online courses can help you pick a school in your area. But the important thing is that the school is state-certified. If they are, that means they are audited and are deemed safe and acceptable by your Secretary of State and Department of Motor Vehicles. If they aren’t state-certified, stay away.
Other than that, simply choose who you feel is the best based on price, quality of classrooms and vehicles, quality of instructors, and so forth.
What will the classroom portion be like?
Typically, they go over all the basic teen drivers license laws with you. Things like ‘right of way’ rules, what different road signs mean, teenage drunk driving, etc. Some of it will seem quite simple, while other things may seem a bit more complicated. Some things will seem irrelevant (and probably are, besides the fact that you need to know it for the exams) and other things you will need to know in order to be a safe driver. Just take everything as it comes. Try not to feel overwhelmed. Millions of people before you have gone through it. No reason you can’t do it too.
What will the driving theory test be like?
Unfortunately, to get your teen drivers license, you need to pass written driving tests. Most people fail the driving theory test and the driving permit test on their first try. That’s why many drivers ed students choose to sign up for practice theory test questions. You really get what you pay for here. Sure, some free driving test questions are out there, but most of them do little to no good. Why? Because the questions are constantly changing. No free service can keep up with the fluctuations in how the tests currently are. There’s no better way to be prepared than signing up for practice driving test questions from a reputable service.
In general, what you can expect is questions about road signs, distracted driving, right of way laws, defensive driving techniques, effects of drugs and alcohol, inclement weather driving, etc. Try to pay attention to specific numbers. For instance, they might ask how many feet ahead of a turn you are required to activate your turn signal. Do you really need to know these specific numbers in the “real world?” Probably not. But the tests require that you know the numbers. So be sure to memorize them.
What if I fail the driving theory test?
Aside from maybe a little embarrassment, nothing too horrible will happen to you. Actually, you’ll be in the majority as most people fail it the first or second time. Most online driving schools allow you to take the final exam as many times as you need. Some state tests may require that you take a break after a certain amount of failures to receive additional training. This can be avoided by paying attention to your instructor or online course and doing some self study. I think a great advantage is to use this driving test question service.
What about driving behind the wheel?
When you first start your teen drivers license behind the wheel lessons, you will make mistakes and lots of them. You’ll hit the gas too hard. Then you’ll hit the brake to hard. You might oversteer and overreact. You might run over a curb or forget to use a turn signal. Don’t worry about it. These are all things your instructor has seen many times before. Just relax, listen to what your driver instructor is telling you, and get a feel for the car. It will take some getting used to, but you’ll be surprised at how quickly you learn as long as you relax and try to enjoy yourself.
Is the driving test hard?
Most people don’t have a problem with the teen drivers license exam. It’s the written exam and theory test that gets most people. So if you’ve made it this far, things are looking good!
Your driving lessons will go through everything you need to know. There shouldn’t be any surprises. The driving examiners actually want you to pass. They aren’t out to get you and they don’t like failing people. Usually, those who fail, do so out of nervousness. You don’t have to be perfect and the driving examiner doesn’t expect you to be perfect. If you do fail, you’ll just need to go back for some additional instruction, then take the driving test over again. No biggie.
A few teen drivers license training tips
While the classroom stuff can be kind of boring, pay attention. Even if you feel it’s stupid information and you’ll never need to know it in the real world (you might be right!), you’ll still need to know it for the tests. Kinda sucks, but that’s the way it is. These driving classes don’t have time to waste on useless information. If they are teaching it to you, then you need to know it.
As for the driving portion of your teen drivers license, the main thing is to relax. We were all new drivers once. Don’t expect to be perfect. You’ll make mistakes, but that’s ok. If you let your mistakes get to you, then you’ll only make more mistakes. So relax, and while you must always have safety in mind, have fun with it! Getting your teen drivers license is a very exciting thing! Your driving lessons will give you good driving habits which will last the rest of your life.
A few reminders for parents after their teens acquire their driver’s license
After you pass the official driving test, you receive your driver’s license and can legally drive independently. But remember that some states have restrictions on 17-year-old drivers.
For parents, you have to make your teen feel that you are comfortable with their level of driving skills as this will give them the confidence that they’ll need. Some of you may feel protective but don’t forget that getting enough experience is important for your teen to be able to drive independently after restrictions have been lifted from their license. So you have to give them enough time to practice while you accompany them.
While you’re at it, take the time to talk to them about the dangers and risks of distractions while driving. This includes listening to music, eating food, texting, checking their phones, and even talking to passengers. But remember not to be preachy if you don’t want your teen to avoid driving with you. Do it candidly like you’re talking to a friend. Sharing your past experiences as a driver could help, too.
You don’t have to be an expert, but you may also share your thoughts on the importance of controlling emotions while driving, like “road rage” and drag racing. You can offer some tips on defensive driving, too, as inexperienced drivers often concentrate on driving correctly. This often leads to their inability to recognize and anticipate the actions and mistakes or errors of other drivers.