hey guys Ive got a real quandry. My 16 year old is a pretty darn good kid. He's sensible (for a teenager) I started teaching him to drive and ride at 10 years old.Driving was at first on a lawnmower powered dirt kart with brakes and throttle. Then on to "racing" indoor go karts with all the bruising that entails.Then he's done time on an old tractor and last he's driven a Suzuki escudo manual up and down the paddock that used to be next door to us. He's sat and passed his learner licence. This is where the trouble starts. I'm eternally horrified by the utter incompetence of New Zealand drivers. My opinion is its because of lack of propper road driveing training. So NOW I'm saying."Now its time he has proffessional instruction" BOY OHH BOY is this causing some huge arguements. He want's to drive HIS car with me as his instructor. and I'm saying" No". Im saying "you need to be taught road skills by a professional". If it was a motorbike it would be a different story. No ego intended but Im as good an instructor with road bike skills as anyone else. I just don't feel Im good enough with car skills. Am I just an old fart with no idea! Or is my thinking long term the best thing for him
vtecintegra,
Mar 24, 12:50pm
Depends on the competence of the instructor.
Most of them will simply teach you enough to pass the license test, something which could be worked out easily enough on your own
mrfxit,
Mar 24, 12:58pm
Hey Kaz, meet him halfway 1 for 1 drive 1 drive with the instructor & 1 drive with you for 3 full drives each Keep going until he tells either you or the instructor to burger off
kazbanz,
Mar 24, 12:59pm
How did your teenager find their instructors competence!
jmma,
Mar 24, 1:00pm
I have a 17yo and I am sending her to a driving school. They are aware of al the rules and do it for a living. Apparently I would pass on all my bad habits to her (o: After only 3 lessons I can honestly see the difference from when I was teaching her and she has more confidence as well.
mrfxit,
Mar 24, 1:03pm
LOL yea it's a real bugger when you spot a mistake the teenager is making & realize YOU DO IT TOO
christineraewyn,
Mar 24, 1:11pm
Wow what a good dad you are, I wish all parents had as much input as you. Definitely an instructor as we all have bad habits and hopefully the instructor will give the right advice and not have bad habits to pass on. Defensive driving is a good thing for him too. We go to schools through the country telling our story about losing our son in a road crash. therippleeffect.org.nz. Our son never drove even though he was 18. He and his friend died as passengers in a car driven by a restricted driver. Being a driver on our roads is not easy as we are pretty bad. Good luck with your son. It is a privilege to drive not a right.
jmma,
Mar 24, 1:11pm
Yes, apparently your hands are supposed to be at 10 to 2, not one at 6 o'clock and the other one out the window(o:
mrfxit,
Mar 24, 1:13pm
STOP . giving away our secrets ;-)
countrypete,
Mar 24, 1:16pm
oops - you must be an old bugger like me.The correct position now is not 10 to 2, but quarter to 3.I find that uncomfortable and awkward, but I notice my son and daughter both drive with hands at 1/4 to 3
mrfxit,
Mar 24, 1:18pm
10am & 2pm ARE a good
Steering wheel balance for the arms Universal steering wheel turning distance Stops you fidgeting with your beer/ burbon can/ ciggy/ passenger /food/radio- cd player- mp3 whatever
The trick is to workout the correct arm distance AND still have a relaxed driving style with minimal effort
mrfxit,
Mar 24, 1:19pm
EEWWWWwwthat modern 9 to 3 leaves you with very little arm strength & even less coordination abilities (wheel wobbles)
joanie04,
Mar 24, 1:41pm
My brother took my 16 year old daughter for an hour driving lesson a few weeks ago in the old manual car that all three of his kids learnt to drive in.My girl had only really driven an automatic a short distance before that.He reckons there is nothing wrong with her driving other than her confidence.I am teaching her and we are doing a lot of driving on the metal roads up here at the moment.She says I am a safe driver but her father can't drive for shit.She is right, he couldn't even teach her to ride a bike.The funny thing is I was taught by my Dad and her father had driving lessens.My grandmother had driving lessens years ago and the instructor could even teach her how to engage and disengage the clutch properly when changing gear and she used to bunny hop everywhere until my Dad started giving her lessens.
likit,
Mar 24, 1:42pm
Just put my 4th son (16 years old) through a driving school & highly recommend it.The tester will know your son has been trained by a driving school & would not let him sit the test unless they knew they were competent.All my sons went through driving school & passed first time.My sons friends are having lessons from their fathers & 2 have failed so far,one of them now going to a driving school.ps took about 10 lessons at $60 each & was in a manual
likit,
Mar 24, 1:44pm
I thought that had changed & was now 15 to 3,although I disagree with both & drive whatever is a comfortable position which I consider more important.
edangus,
Mar 24, 1:45pm
Get a pro onto it. I couldn't teach my eldest boy anything, and to be honest his driving was erratic and terrifying (In came Mum for that one). My Daughter well she was good to teach (terrible driver) but listened. Scared the heck out of her mother so it was my job. We even paid for lessons on top of it, shes a bit of a shocker, but has got better over time (19 now). Get a pro, stops any animosity. Part of the reason why we got her lessons was so she did not pick up my bad habits as well (and lets be honest we all have them). Using a Pro for lessons usually means you can use their vehicle for testing (one less thing to fail on when being tested).
bitsy_boffin,
Mar 24, 1:57pm
Definitely get him some professional lessons first,but you still need to get in his car with him at every opportunity, the more practice the better - just bite your tongue from giving well meaning advice which may be contrary to what he was taught by the instructor, leave the teaching to to the instructor, your purpose is just to make sure his practice sessions are safe.
deviant.s,
Mar 24, 2:12pm
Instructor is always the best idea, especially when learning manual. I was taught by an instructor and now I'm that annoying backseat driver pointing out everything the driver does wrong whether it be to do with the road rules or hown they are changing gears etc.I think if you took him out for drives as well as give him professional lessons is the best idea.
matarautrader,
Mar 24, 4:30pm
We used driving instructors for our kids ( now aged 19 & 20), with extra practice from Mum and Dad in the family car when they had the basics sorted. I am told that Dad shouts a lot when he is the passenger!. I found that the instructors were great for the basics but it was very benificial for them for Mum or Dad to take them out around town when it was quiet practising hills starts, backing skills and the like.We used AA and from memory they were about $40 per half hour.
joanie04,
Mar 24, 4:39pm
My brother always tells the kids he is teaching, that he does not yell or growl but he could possibly laugh.I personally would rather spend my money on my girl doing a defensive driving course.
trogedon,
Mar 24, 4:46pm
A problem I see with using an instructor is that they don't get lessons regularly enough. People need to learn to drive (on the road) by doing frequently - every day or two. That would cost $$ and organising that with the same instructor would be a nightmare. # As an aside being a driving instructor isn't a profession.
hpaul,
Mar 24, 4:56pm
Do instructors teach real driving skills or teach you to pass the test!
I would get in touch with a REAL professional, try Don Elvy, he's brilliant, and if he can't help in your area he'll know who can:
Name Don Elvy
Bus. Phone 03-313-7551
Mobile 0274-331-425
Fax 03-313-7550
bwg11,
Mar 24, 5:01pm
Our young drivers, once past the test stage are usually quite skilled with excellent eyesight, distance judgement and speed perception but unfortunately the old cliche, "the most skilled, but also the most killed", is also true.
What needs upskilling most is not car control, but attitude training. This is where the defensive driving courses of old, or time with a professionalpays big divdends, provided of course the "learner" is receptive.
Example is important. What can you expect from a teenage boy, when Dad lays a patch or does donuts periodically!
bwg11,
Mar 24, 5:04pm
Great to hear Don Elvy is still training. Excellent guy. I did skid training with him on Ruapuna back in the mid-ninetys. Money spent with Don would be well spent.
pollymay,
Mar 24, 5:47pm
My driving instructor was kind of a tard to be honest, didn't show me how to crack a single phat skid.
But really she had funny idea on how to stop in an emergency, what gear to be in and "I held the gearshift like a bear claw, you need to relax and almost stroke it between gears".that was about when I got too weird for me. Reading the road way ahead, drilling shoulder checks in, little things like what gear or handbrake or whatever you should use at the lights but talking about how I hold the shifter.yeah nah.
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