How to get the most out of a lesson with your learner driver

RACQ26/04/2024

Teaching your teenager how to drive can be one of the most daunting experiences of parenthood however, it is crucial as young drivers continue to be overrepresented in Queensland’s road toll.

This is why a learner driver’s first 100 hours can be the most crucial.

RACQ Education Coaching and Development Lead Melissa Johnson said it was important for supervisors to intentionally plan each lesson ahead of time.

“From the beginning of your training to the end, make sure you and your learner driver practise in varying driving conditions and refine different skills to ensure you are practising with purpose,” Ms Johnson said.

“Each lesson you should select a location ahead of time, so the route is appropriate for the learner’s current ability.

“We know more complex manoeuvres such as right-hand turns require a lot of judgment and awareness which learner drivers don’t yet have.

“Make sure you are focusing on tasks which they may find challenging once they begin driving on their P Plates such as managing passengers, distractions and unfamiliar places.”

While it’s essential to ensure a learner driver feels safe and confident behind the wheel, so too is modelling safe driving behaviour well before they hit the accelerator.

“We know young drivers are likely to mimic the same driver behaviours of a friend or family member,” Ms Johnson said.

Therefore, it’s just as vital to make sure you, as the supervisor are aware of your behaviour when in the driver and passenger seat.

“One technique to support your leaner driver even before they get behind the wheel is called commentary driving, which is saying out loud what you see, think and do while driving."

To help make sure every drive count, supervisors are encouraged to plan ahead so the lessons are meaningful.

Four ways to plan a meaningful lesson for a learner driver

Set boundaries. Whether it is discussing the best method of communication or how to identify when to stop the lesson if your learner driver is feeling overwhelmed, it is important to have a conversation before you step foot in the car.
Try to keep your language positive, easy to understand and consistent. Make sure you are patient with them and understand they are going to make mistakes.
Break the lessons down so you are focusing on practising driving skills in different conditions like merging, roundabouts, right-hand turns in complex traffic conditions.
After each lesson, it can be great to debrief. Ask your learner driver what they are happy with in their lesson and what they would like to learn in the next one. Praise them on the tasks they did well and use constructive language to inform of the tasks they could improve.

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