Parents ask me all the time, “Why won’t my Teen Learn to Drive?

Parents you are not alone in thinking your kid (future teen driver) is _____ (fill in the blank). Why don’t they want to learn to drive?

While we remember a set of car keys as the ultimate independence, our kids see it as another burden of adulthood responsibility. They don’t want to DEAL with it… The “requirements” of adulthood and driving which include…
  1. state mandated TESTS
  2. state mandated practice logs: 50 hrs
  3. state mandated school attendance record
  4. financial costs
  5. lack of motivation or immaturity

I don’t want to learn to drive says 18 year old.

One parent was given the,;”Ugh don’t I have enough tests in  school already?” retort, while others claim overloaded activities, scheduling and no time. The truth is your teen can get everything he or she needs including friends through their phone. Food is delivered and so are friends thanks to online gaming, Snapchat and the like. Teens give the excuse of “Being afraid to get behind the wheel,” which is a reality that can only be addressed with lots of practice before obtaining the license, and serious adherence to state Graduated Driver Licensing rules.

My teen uses excuses to not get her license“

Teens are often reluctant to burden their parents with additional costs for insurance, cars fuel and registration when they know the household is financially challenged, however, getting a job as a requirement of staying in the parental home, or post-high school education, is often the final impetus to getting the drivers license. Some teens wait until summer vacation when the schedule is lightened, but more often than not, parents are enabling the lack of desire by volunteering to drive the teen (as a source of monitoring).
OR WORSE, teens are electing to not their teen driver license BECAUSE: 
  • They can AVOID of # 1-2-3  if they wait until age 18, in most states.
  • Parents allow teen to drive with permit unsupervised and ILLEGALLY.
If you want to get your teen driving, you need to set the process in motion and stick with it… no backing down but take a different tact.

Follow these top 10 rules…to get your teen driving

#1. Driving is like brushing your teeth, and important LIFE SKILL you must learn by age 18, because you need all the PRACTICE you can get. #2. Make a rule and stick to it. Pick 2 days a week, 1 hour, the teen will PRACTICE driving (must have a permit) with a parent. This is to reinforce any professional driving school training you may enlist, and I do recommend. #3. If you hire a professional driving school. (MyCarlady: How to pick one.), Accompany your teen on the first lesson. Sit in the back, listen, observe, so you can reinforce the correct techniques, and maybe learn some skills yourself. Sign the teen up for additional driver education resources in the community like: AUTOMOTIVE LIFE SKILLS, DRIVERS EDGE, BRAKES, Every 15 Minutes. boys and girls clubs auto life skills clinics The next #4-#7 top ten rules coming up… ——————————————– Sarah Lee Marks is MyCarlady. She has over 26+ years of experience. She writes about cars, and is a staunch consumer advocate on car related subjects. MyCarlady offers free car buying advice, and private, auto-related services to help you maintain your personal or commercial vehicles. Call Sarah Lee for more information email sarahlee at mycarlady.com. Ask to join the MyCarlady newsletter to be kept up-to-date on this and other important car information. ]]>