Teach your Teen to drive : Part 7

ON THE ROAD COMMUNICATION
HOW TO DO IT WELL
New drivers have to practice communicating when changing speed and direction. Ensure that your new driver learns to signal before, turning corners, changing lanes and exiting and entering highways. Explain to them how to use brake lights and hand signals to communicate to other road users when they want to slow, stop, or park.
THE ROLE YOU PLAY
As the two of you are driving along, try to point out when other drivers neglect to communicate their intentions. Teach your new driver that a good rule of thumb for making a turn is to signal before braking, so that the driver behind knows that you are going to slow down. Repeat to your new driver that they must pay attention to the traffic behind their vehicle. To avoid being hit from the rear, advise your new driver to check the mirrors and pump the brakes before slowing or stopping.
SOLUTIONS TO COMMON PROBLEMS
New drivers can become excessively concerned with switching on the signal indicator. At times, they do not to let the vehicle straighten out from a curve or a previous turn before signaling for the next turn. Ensure that your new driver waits until the vehicle is straight before trying to signal again.
Be aware of new drivers risking loss of steering control when attempting to use the signal lever.
Have your new driver practice using the signal lever without taking their eyes off the road or hands off the steering wheel. This can also apply when operating other instruments in the vehicle while driving, especially in heavy traffic. You may have to remind your new driver to wait before tuning the radio or use other instruments while at an intersection—and wait for a more calm section of roadway.
IMPORTANT LESSON
Ensure other drivers can see your vehicle, and let other drivers know what you plan to do.
WHERE TO PRACTICE
You can practice communicating on any type of road. By prompting your new driver to signal before every turn in a quiet neighborhood, signaling can become almost automated later on in heavy traffic. With good signaling skills, your new driver can spend more time focused on other important driving decisions.

Teach your Teen to drive : Part 4

SPEED CONTROL

HOW TO DO IT WELL
The maximum speed limits on roads / streets are set on the basis of ideal driving conditions, i.e. good weather, good roads, and good traffic conditions. However, it’s rather difficult to get all these conditions at once.

That is the reason why a new driver has to be reminded to continually adjust their speed as the driving conditions change.

It can be a bit awkward for an unskilled driver at first to adjust their speed to traffic and road conditions, but you can assist them by stressing that they should maintain speed with the other traffic and maintain the same speed as the other vehicles in the flow of traffic, providing speed limits are observed.

Attempt to avoid large amounts or “packs” of traffic at first.

Demonstrate to your new driver how to perform this and how to adjust their speed as well. Have them slow down a bit and let the traffic pass them and then resume their speed.
Have your new driver adjust speed as necessary in new surroundings for example unknown intersections, crossings, or other areas where pedestrians may act unexpectedly.
Keep in mind that driving 70 km/h in some situations may be much too fast (even though the speed limit may be 80 km/h).

THE ROLE YOU PLAY
Ask your new driver to uphold a constant speed limit. For example, you can say:

“Try to maintain a speed limit at 60km/h for the next kilometer.”

The new driver may find the speedometer will drop below or above 60 km/h. With practice this should improve. Let them practice this while driving under various conditions, such as curves, hills, and so forth.

SOLUTIONS TO COMMON PROBLEMS
Frequently, new drivers are inclined to drive through intersections too fast. Have your new driver realize just how dangerous intersections can be, even if they do have the right-of-way. You have to make sure your new driver is aware of how to approach an intersection at an early stage.

New drivers are inclined to drive too fast on / around curves as well. Your new driver should be reminded that a curve is just a small part of a regular turn. It can be hard to comprehend the necessity to slow down to enter a curve and to accelerate after leaving the curve.

This will become easier with lots of practice and reminders.

Practice will assist your driver to anticipate speed changes of the vehicle under different conditions and your new driver will be able to adjust the vehicle’s speed to the road conditions.

Make sure your new driver does not make the following common driving mistakes:

• letting the incline of a hill change their speed i.e. slowing down when going uphill, speeding up when going downhill
• slowing down too much when turning off a high speed road that has an exit lane
• driving too fast for the road and weather conditions
• losing speed when changing lanes

IMPORTANT LESSON
Adjust speed to road and weather conditions and set goals for constant speed.

WHERE TO PRACTICE
It’s best to firstly drive in easy-to-handle surroundings.

In early practice sessions, get your new driver to maintain constant speed on streets in residential areas and on dual-lane roads with not much traffic and not many side streets.

As the new driver become more experienced, you can start to take on areas where the traffic is heavier and where they will have to adjust their speed more often.

You can start practicing increasing speed and merging onto another road by merging at a quiet intersection with a yield sign. When your new driver has mastered that, you can have them try it on a higher speed road that has a longer acceleration area. Work on speed control while overtaking or being overtaken and on hills and curves.

Intersections / Crossings

1. When approaching a four-way or a three-way stop, the vehicle which was
   there first, may proceed first when it is safe to do so.
2. When approaching a traffic circle, vehicles already in the circle, and
   vehicles approaching from the right, have the right of way.
3. You must obey traffic lights and traffic signals, unless instructed otherwise
   by a traffic officer.
4. Always come to a complete stop where there is a stop sign.
5. Always yield to pedestrians at or near a pedestrian crossing.
6. Only enter an intersection or crossing when it is safe to do so.

Licence2Drive Learners Package