You have reached the stage where your teenager is confident with the basics of controlling the vehicle, they have good awareness of the other vehicles and the events taking place around them, and they are comfortable moving in and around traffic. Now it is time to put it all together and look at using the available space around the vehicle to keep them and their vehicle as safe as possible.
The right way to do it.
The appropriate use of the space available to you is achieved by positioning the vehicle equidistant from all the potential hazards around you, and to do this with as little effect on the other traffic as possible. This is particularly important to understand when the new driver meets an obstacle such as a parked car for instance; they must realize that just swinging out round the parked vehicle could make a situation much worse.
Parked cars do not always stay parked and it is important for a new driver to realize that they must leave enough room should the parked vehicle start to move away from the footpath or the driver opens the door. There is also a danger that someone might attempt to cross the road from behind the parked vehicle, and if they do, they will be difficult to see.
Driving 'out of position' is a common mistake made by new drivers, it is commonly called drifting. It takes lots of practice to get this right, but eventually your teenager will become confident in their awareness of the size and shape of their vehicle.
How can you help?
We can sometimes offer what seems like conflicting advice to new drivers, such as 'keep left to avoid parked cars' and 'keep right to stay out of the oncoming traffic'. Make sure you keep your instructions as clear and concise as you can, and if your teenager is faced with more than one hazard at a time, make sure they moderate their speed to suit the situation.
Best place to practice.
The best place to start here is in a quiet residential street, but you should be able to move on to busier roads quite quickly. The overall idea is to build up confidence at a pace that ensures safety at all times, but not so slow as to provoke frustration. Ultimately your teenager will be a safer driver the more practice he or she does at this stage.
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