parent of 'L' plater - how did u handle it?

[Dayvo]

My 21 year old son has just come off his P's but yeah it was a stressful time when he got his L's, I took him down to the old stock yards in Dandenong and got him to just drive around there for an hour to get to know the feel of the car. He drove like he was on the Playstation,he only turned the wheel about an inch.After about a week he started having lessons once a fortnight and i took him out the rest of the time .I remember the day he got his license , he wanted to go and visit a friend just as it got dark and his mother said " Get you father to drive you its dark, needless to say i didn't .But when he got home he said it felt soooo illegal driving without someone sitting next to him .I think i stressed more about him than i did with my daughter

 

[edals]

Not a Parent, But i think it was worse that i was out on a bike, could just tell my mum was always freaking out about it, But dad was always with me riding on his bike.
When i got my Ls, I refused to drive with my mum, She was just freaking out way to much on everything, Lucky dad always took me, first started in a car park just learning the car etc etc.
He also took me to the farm to throw a car around to let me see how quick things can happen.
I do think we need driver defence courses straight up, so we can be given a chance to learn how quick things can happen on a skid pad.
I have been driving 4 years now and still learn stuff every day. Like the other day, turning right into a street then all of a sudden a car took off from the curb and almost ran straight into them, lucky i was only driving slow.
Stop teaching people how to get a licence and maybe more on car control. Not just street signs. More like bike tests, over 2 days you have to go around cones and hard braking etc

 

[Maxxiz]

I just came off being an L plater and from my perspective and from observing my supervisors and my mates parents etc..
Dont be too slack.. Pay attention as if you were driving..
Dont be the complete opposite, dont be constantly pointing out things just for the sake of it/dont constantly talk, its distracting...
jm2c

 

[cdtoaster]

my brother taught me to drive, was pretty relaxed

 

[Lost_Pete]

I am almost up to number 4 learner.

The first few are quite stressful and from the learner's point of view there is a lot to take in. All of our have learnt in the VN Wagon manual.

My advice (right or wrong) in no order;

1. Scout out quiet safe locations. These need to have the intersections, roundabouts, traffic lights and hills. Some long straights as well.
2. Plan the lesson. Don't just take them out. Tell and show them on paper that today we are going to learn about (say) roundabouts. Then practise them in the car.
3. Talk them through the drive. Get them to talk you through what they are doing, what they see, what they plan to do (very hard).
4. Teach them how to STOP!
5. Get a second interior mirror for you to use.
6. Turn off the radio/phone/ipod.
7. Teach them about keeping space around them. Space is your friend! THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT.
8. Keep calm and talk slowly and calmly. Once you are stopped and safely out of the car you can scream at them.
9. Review the drive. Point out good and bad aspects, or refer to #9.
10. Don't worry about people behind you.
11. Keep calm!!!!!
12. Teach them about each control in the car, including high beam, wipers and horn. This is great fun in a household with a "European" blinker system and a normal system.
13. Really know the road rules. You really don't know them as well as you think. This does mean you have to read the book.
14. Critically assess your own driving and improve it. You have gotten lazy and sloppy.
15. Don't teach them bad or lazy habits. Refer to #14.
16. Keep calm even if you have missed numerous traffic lights because they have stalled 47 times. Remember rule #10.
17. Honestly assess them and think about whether you feel comfortable about letting go on their P's. L plate fatalities are very low. P plate fatalities are high. Would they pass your driving test?

Lots more but you are probably bored now.

 

[Rufus®]

I still have another 10 or so years before my oldest is ready to drive, i dont envy you at all at this time, and i really have no idea what to expect in10 years time either..... good luck!!

 

[sik_dose]

I had my first drive of a commodore on my L's, parents VR v6, I thaught it had so much torque. loved it. ended up drifting into a tree stupid me.

 

[W84N01]

My daughter is 12yrs old, I have a worked VC fuel injected 5ltre with a hammershift 3spd. She has driven that before, a couple of years ago actually when she was 10. Drove it up and down the driveway and loved it. I also had her on my lap a few times and she'd steer the car and change the gears.

She has recently driven the HSV Senator Signature 250 up and down the driveway aswell, and is actually pretty good. Everytime i drive my VN manual, she changes gears for me. I don't even have to tell her when to change the gears anymore, she does it all by sound and sense now.

I think i'll be fine when she finally goes for her "L"s, althou we are buying her a moped first, just so she can get the sense of the road rules lol.

I have a Hyosung 250 at the moment, and she has also ridden that around the backyard, she loves it and can't wait to get her moped. : )

My 15yr old daughter on the other hand worries the crap outta me, she just has no sense of anything and thinks the law doesn't apply to her and that she can do what she wants when she wants.........i refuse to teach her any part of driving until her attitude changes thou, and that scares me to bits : (