3 Things Driving School Will Teach Your Teen

What will your teen learn in driving school? According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, over 60 percent of teens under 18 got their driver's license in 2019. This represents a growing number of teens who pass their license tests before they officially become adults. If your teenager is ready to join this group of young drivers, take a look at what they should learn from professional drivers' instruction.

Basic Car Control Anatomy 

You're more than familiar with the buttons, latches, levers, and lights in a car. But your teen doesn't know as much about these controls and alerts. Before they get behind the wheel of your family's car, they need at least a basic level of car anatomy knowledge. 

This doesn't mean your teen needs to learn about how the engine works and what rotors do. Instead, they need a driver's education instructor to identify common controls (such as the turn signals and windshield wipers) and alerts or notifications (such as the low tire pressure warning). Along with these controls and notifications, the driver's ed teacher may also help your teen to find and use the gas tank release lever, emergency flashers, and the interior climate/temperature control system.

Motor Vehicle and Driving Safety

Safety is the top priority for a teen (or any) driver. Driver's education doesn't only focus on how to drive. Classroom and road-based instruction also focuses on how to drive safely. These lessons may include information on defensive driving, handling road rage, driving in different types of weather conditions, distracted driving, speed limits, types of road lanes, changing lanes, safe spacing in between cars, and what to do in the event of an accident. The driver's ed instructor may also review safety devices that your teen will or may use—such as seat belts, headlights, lane departure warnings, and the location of the airbags.

On the Road Driving Skills

After your teen learns more about the basic car controls and driving safety, they're almost ready to take your vehicle on the road. Pre-driving instruction may include the proper hand position on the steering wheel, how to check side and rearview mirrors, the placement of the gas and brake pedals, and using the emergency brake. Your teen will put this information into use during hands-on instructional driving sessions. These classes put your teen behind the wheel and give them real-world experience driving on local roads and highways.