Show support for student drivers this summer

Student drivers will be hitting the roads in full force this summer learning the ropes of the road. Driver's education is taught all throughout the year, but as schools dismiss for the summer, those students will fill in their schedules with driver's education courses.

This will be my third year as a driver safety and education instructor with StreetSmarts Driver's Education. During that time, I have had a wide range of drivers with different skills and abilities. Anywhere from the first-time driver to the one that has driven so many hours they have lost track of their time. Usually each one of these students have something in common: they are extremely nervous to get behind the wheel with their instructor.

My goal is to try to get past those nerves so they can enjoy and learn as they are behind the wheel. Here are a few tips for parents that can help ease the nerves and allow students to focus on their driving.

1. Students should get as many hours of driving as possible outside of driver's education class.

The requirement for a novice driver to go from an Instructional Permit to an Intermediate License is to have 30 hours of classroom time, 6 hours of classroom drive time, and 20 hours of driving outside of class, 2 of which must be at night. Notice they may only be offered 6 hours of classroom drive time during their time in driver's education. It is hard to get them to learn everything they need to know about driving a car within that 6 hours of drive time. The more drive time a student has, the more successful they usually are behind the wheel. I have found the students who average about 5 hours of driving before they actually drive with me as a student have been the most successful. Instructors also love to see the student get out the driver's side of their parent's car when they come to driver's education, and get in the driver's side as they leave.

2. When allowing your child to drive, have them drive in many different situations.

If you bring your child with you to the grocery store and allow them to drive to and from there, that is great! It is helping to get them used to driving. However, if this is their only route, it may actually not be the most ideal situation. From dealing with my students, they are the most nervous about the interstate. As far as the interstate is concerned, it is more about the entering they are the most nervous about doing. To help ease this tension, allow them to drive on some multiple lane roads. Go a direction where the traffic is less dense. I try to avoid the more populated areas when I first take my students on the interstate. This way, they can get used to the high speeds, while not being worried as much about the traffic around them. Get them also in the habit of checking their blind spot as they are entering. This will help them in the long run. The best thing you can do for your child is not only have them drive you in familiar areas, as this will help build their confidence, but get them into different situations they may not be used to as well. This way they can get used to many driving situations as possible before coming into driver education.

3. Be a role model: Wear your seat belt and do not text and drive.

Your child watches everything you do. Make sure you demonstrate all safety precautions when driving. Wear your seat belt and do not use your cellphone or electronic device when driving. By performing these simple tasks, your child is likely to pick up on the habit, which will allow them to be safer on the road. The best advice I have gotten about cellphones was from a State Trooper while I was getting certified. Make sure you turn your phone on silent, do not turn it off because they are useful in an emergency, and put it somewhere you will forget about it. Make sure the screen is away from you as well because if you see it light up, it may be tempting to look to see who are what just sent a message.

4. Be positive and have fun!

I had a great support system when I was learning how to drive. My parents made it so I wanted to get behind the wheel. Be that positive support system. Let them know what they are doing well before you tell them what they need to work on. Do not yell or belittle them - this can rattle their confidence and make it harder for them to focus. Emotional driving can just be as dangerous as texting and driving.

If they are doing something that can be considered risky, get them to stop the vehicle in a safe location and explain what could happen and what the consequences could be.

Not just parents can use the ideas from above. These can be used by anyone on the road. If you come up on a car and you can see it says 'STUDENT DRIVER,” give them a little space and be patient. Please do not tailgate, honk, or yell obscenities to these students who are driving. Instead be positive If you see them do something good, acknowledge it if you are able.

My two best example are when a student successfully parallel parked, the family that was sitting on the porch across the road cheered. The other time we made a successful pass on the interstate. The person in the other car gave our student driver a thumbs up letting us know they were doing a great job. Students notice these positives. Everyone love being told they are doing something well. Remember, we all have been students trying to learn something new at some point in our lives and they will be sharing the road with us.

l Matthew Shannon is a driver's education teacher with StreetSmarts Driver's Education. Comments: mshannon@independence.k12.ia.us