Teaching my daughter to drive any tips?

[Chef Matt]

I haven't started yet but I'm off tomorrow and she's not in school so I figured it was a good time.

I have a little 5-speed saturn that I'm going to use to teach her.

Any you guys gone through this yet?
Where would be the best place to go? I was thinkin some country back road or somethin.

I don't even know where to start. LOL Uncharted waters here.

[mKoz26]

Re: Teaching my daughter to drive any tips?

I haven't started yet but I'm off tomorrow and she's not in school so I figured it was a good time.

I have a little 5-speed saturn that I'm going to use to teach her.

Any you guys gone through this yet?
Where would be the best place to go? I was thinkin some country back road or somethin.

I don't even know where to start. LOL Uncharted waters here.

A deserted parking lot maybe?

[Chef Matt]

Re: Teaching my daughter to drive any tips?

A deserted parking lot maybe?

That's a good idea. There's an old Mervyns parking lot close by thats empty. It'd be a good place to teach her the clutch work. Sweet that's a start.

[MC Fatigue]

Re: Teaching my daughter to drive any tips?

Parking lots with no one there is a very good idea.

Also - consider a teacher. I don't know your daughter or you, but a lot of children/parents will struggle with driving lessons because it gets too personal. The parent wants to control and have it done just like they do it, and the child wants to figure it out their way and often resents the suggestions given. Most people I know did far better off with a teacher instead of their parent.

[Chaos81]

Re: Teaching my daughter to drive any tips?

With a manual transmission I'd definitely take her to an empty parking lot first. Then once she's figured the transmission out somewhat and can make it around the lot, you can take her to the back roads.

That's how I learned anyways and I didn't have any complaints.

[tsalbysp]

Re: Teaching my daughter to drive any tips?

Start her off in an empty parking lot.

Once she gets used to how the car handles and feels comfortable actually driving, take her to some back-roads. She may get freaked out driving on populated roads with traffic behind her and coming at her. Have her drive around the countryside, getting used to how the car drives on the road and getting used to other vehicles (albeit they will be fewer and farther between).

Once she feels comfortable driving on the back-roads, move her to populated roads around town. Get her used to being in traffic flow, used to all the traffic signs and etiquette.

Finally, take her on the highway.

That's pretty much how my parents taught me. Hope I could help.

[Chef Matt]

Re: Teaching my daughter to drive any tips?

Parking lots with no one there is a very good idea.

Also - consider a teacher. I don't know your daughter or you, but a lot of children/parents will struggle with driving lessons because it gets too personal. The parent wants to control and have it done just like they do it, and the child wants to figure it out their way and often resents the suggestions given. Most people I know did far better off with a teacher instead of their parent.

We thought about that. The thing I want most is to teach her the clutch work. We're gonna see where we get with that and if all goes well continue. I do have an ace up my sleeve though if it doesn't work out.

With a manual transmission I'd definitely take her to an empty parking lot first. Then once she's figured the transmission out somewhat and can make it around the lot, you can take her to the back roads.

That's how I learned anyways and I didn't have any complaints.

Good advice, teach the clutch first then lightly populated back roads. Great.

Start her off in an empty parking lot.

Once she gets used to how the car handles and feels comfortable actually driving, take her to some back-roads. She may get freaked out driving on populated roads with traffic behind her and coming at her. Have her drive around the countryside, getting used to how the car drives on the road and getting used to other vehicles (albeit they will be fewer and farther between).

Once she feels comfortable driving on the back-roads, move her to populated roads around town. Get her used to being in traffic flow, used to all the traffic signs and etiquette.

Finally, take her on the highway.

That's pretty much how my parents taught me. Hope I could help.

Again prefect. I'm starting to feel a little easy about this now. This is great stuff guys.

[av7]

Re: Teaching my daughter to drive any tips?

Empty parking lot, no hills preferably since some have issues with letting the clutch out and giving it gas to get going before stalling.


With my sister, for whatever reason, having her come to complete stop and going again was the hardest thing for her.. I dont know why when hills weren't an issue for her.

The teacher route MC mentioned would be a good idea after trying to teach my sister. Always ended up with her getting pissed at me like I was doing something to stall the truck on purpose

The way I learned was interesting. We used to go down to Baja a few times a year and with the offroad Baja bug, I was left on the beach to learn it on my own when I was around 10-12 age.. took me awhile but once you get going its easy

[Stumbleweed]

Re: Teaching my daughter to drive any tips?

I started driving at like 8 on my Dad's lap in subdivisions in Florida when we'd be out there visiting my grandparents (normally when it was a rental car... LOL). Eventually I moved into the seat on my own in the same neighborhoods -- I remember one day I was driving around and a bunch of kids were outside playing in their yard, I heard them yell, "Hey, that kid's driving a car!".. I felt like the coolest mofo on the planet haha.

Anyway, yeah, since it's a stick, I'd suggest the empty parking lot as well. Once she has the basics down and you're not afraid that she'll just lose control or forget what she's doing, go with either country back roads if those are available or a lightly-populated (vehicle-wise) subdivision/residential area that's sub-25 MPH. The subdivisions are a good place to get used to taking long sweeping turns with curb boundaries, avoiding cars parked on the side of the road, handling various stop signs and intersections, etc. as well as just teaching her to be very cautious of kids and whatnot that run into the road in those types of areas.

EDIT: Hahaha, my Dad isn't friendly to rental cars... I always remember him using them as a cooler -- empty a bag of ice into the center console and you've got yourself a nice beer cooler. He'd also routinely take them up on mountain roads that were only really suitable for Jeeps and trail bikes.

[mgoblue]

Re: Teaching my daughter to drive any tips?

I had to take a drivers ed course when I turned 15, pass a test and the driving in the instructor's special car (had breaks and gas on his side as well as driver side). Once I had that I got my learner's permit and could drive with my parents in the car. Not sure what your state requires to get a drivers license though...

My mom took me to a icy parking lot to teach me to drive on snow/ice...it was easy, and then I started doing donuts in the snow until she yelled at me lol

I'd stick to the parking lot with her until she's really used to dealing with other cars around...it can take some people a little while before it's second nature, and other drivers can be f'n morons. Combine one idiot driver and one student driver and it could get ugly.

Make sure she's got turning down though, curbs can suck until you get the hang of it, I remember some of the people in my driving class would take turns too tight and always run up on the curb.

[Chef Matt]

Re: Teaching my daughter to drive any tips?

I had to take a drivers ed course when I turned 15, pass a test and the driving in the instructor's special car (had breaks and gas on his side as well as driver side). Once I had that I got my learner's permit and could drive with my parents in the car. Not sure what your state requires to get a drivers license though...

See, that's exactly how I did it too. But now there is a waiting list to get in the drivers ed course. We're going to get her in a 3rd party drivers ed course and forego the school. But, it's not for another 4 or 5 months.

My mom took me to a icy parking lot to teach me to drive on snow/ice...it was easy, and then I started doing donuts in the snow until she yelled at me lol

Fortunatley in Central Cali we don't have to worry about snow and ice. Although I'm sure someday she'll have to take that fork in the road. No pun intended of course.

Make sure she's got turning down though, curbs can suck until you get the hang of it, I remember some of the people in my driving class would take turns too tight and always run up on the curb.

I'll keep that in mind.

[SuperBowlNachos]

Re: Teaching my daughter to drive any tips?

1. Need to find a non-busy rail road crossing or some other hill. My biggest problem when I was out on my own with a manual, was being on an inclince and starting to go again without stalling, or taking so long to go that I roll backwards.

2. I've been driving it for 4 years now, and still sometimes I pull off the clutch to soon and grind the gears, you need to somehow teach her how to handle that. It's scary the first time.

[BunnyHardaway]

Re: Teaching my daughter to drive any tips?

Try not to raise your voice at her while driving. My mom would literally yell at me when I did so much as brake too late and it got to the point where I put the car in park, got out, and walked home. I had to finish the required driving time with my aunt, which was much less stressful.

[Watson]

Re: Teaching my daughter to drive any tips?

2nd the parking lot thing. My dad did the country road thing because he knew I would want to go as high as I could go. He made me drive our manual Corvette the first time, I was scared as **** the first time I shifted into 3rd. I thought I was going to run it off the road.

Also, make her back up the driveway a few times. That's what a lot of people have trouble with when first starting out.

[duke776]

Re: Teaching my daughter to drive any tips?

Try not to raise your voice at her while driving. My mom would literally yell at me when I did so much as brake too late and it got to the point where I put the car in park, got out, and walked home. I had to finish the required driving time with my aunt, which was much less stressful.

Yup, just remember to keep your cool. It will really help your daughter out. I was driving with my dad mainly around this time last year before I got my license, and it was very nice to not have him get mad or upset when I made a mistake. I ran up onto a curb the first time I drove but my dad stayed calm, and it helped me stay calm.