| Since 1967, teenagers in Texas were permitted to | | | | to use learning theory to help their teenagers learn. |
| obtain a driver's license at the age of 16 provided | | | | Some teenagers don't always listen well when it is |
| they successfully complete an approved public school | | | | their parents who are doing the talking. In these |
| or commercial driver education training. Until 1997, this | | | | instances, parents handling the driver education |
| driver education training requirement could only be | | | | training could lead to an enormity of issues that |
| met if it was provided through instructors and | | | | affect their teenager's driving ability. |
| schools certified by the Texas Education Agency. | | | | Information Overload |
| Driver education training schools cropped up in many | | | | Parents should take the time to review the |
| areas and teenagers were taking their driver | | | | Department of Public Safety's driver handbook long |
| education training through their high schools, strip mall | | | | before they take up the mantle as their teenager's |
| schools and more. | | | | driving instructor. There are many reasons for this, |
| When Did This Change? | | | | because adult drivers take a great deal for granted |
| This changed in April of 1997, when the Department | | | | when they are driving. Why shouldn't they? The |
| of Public Safety implemented rules based on | | | | standard parent driver has likely been driving for |
| legislation in 1995, providing for a parent taught driver | | | | more than 20 years by the time their teenager is old |
| education training that must still meet the driver | | | | enough to learn how to drive. |
| training requirements necessary for licensing at 16. | | | | They don't think about what the gauges mean. They |
| Parents must follow state-approved procedures and | | | | don't think about what warning signs to watch for |
| curriculum and use one of the state-approved | | | | and with so many systems automated in vehicles |
| courses that require at least 32 hours of classroom | | | | today, they may not even remember which ones |
| instruction and 14 hours of in-car instruction. But | | | | they need to watch. There is an amazing amount of |
| when it comes to parents handling the driver | | | | knowledge that must be imparted during driver |
| education training, some parents may be confused on | | | | education training and while some of it may seem |
| what the best way to handle the training process. | | | | boring or redundant, it shouldn't be skimped on. |
| Should Parents Teach Teen Driving? | | | | Ultimately, the parent driver must recognize the |
| There are arguments both for and against parents | | | | information overload their teenager may be facing |
| teaching their own children to drive. The arguments | | | | when it comes to driver education training. Review |
| are a combination of personality and material. First | | | | the material, take a defensive driving class and check |
| and foremost, driver education training is about more | | | | out the parent education driving materials available |
| than just putting in the time. It's about teaching your | | | | through the Texas Education Agency. Before you |
| child to be a safe driver. Parents want their children | | | | attempt teaching your teenager to drive, it's |
| to be safe and teenagers do want to know how to | | | | important to respect what can happen. Don't be |
| drive. | | | | ashamed or dismayed if it seems like an |
| But what happens when the parent teacher or the | | | | overwhelming job. That's why there are driver |
| teenager learner becomes impatient with each other? | | | | education training schools. |
| Some parents don't understand how to teach or how | | | | |