I am a nervous driver much like my own dad.  He never got to grips with driving.  I recall my mum giving him driving lessons with my brother and I sitting in the back of the car.  It wasn’t the best experience as they would argue!  Once he almost drove us off the road!  Hitting the accelerator not the break, my mum had to grab the steering wheel!!!  I did eventually pass my driving test (on the fourth attempt!).  But I still don’t feel particularly happy behind the wheel and let hubbie do the driving as much as possible. However, I want my boys to be confident drivers and not pick up on my feelings about being on the road.

To help I have started to encourage them both to try different driving experiences from an early age.  Hopefully by offering them a wide range of experiences that will bolster their confidence and give them a head start when they have their driving lessons.  My youngest has had an early driving lesson and he would have liked it if I could have booked him more sessions.  I remember having jelly legs getting into a car for my driving lessons, so it was lovely seeing him so much more enthusiastic than me already.  My two liked driving the Lego cars at LEGOLAND, but now they are older they need a bigger challenge.

You need to be 17 to drive on public roads but you can do plenty of things before that to give your child a chance to try driving.  Booking a junior driving experience from a site like Track Days can also give them more assurance about their abilities.  But as it’s a sporty car looks so much more fun and exciting than driving a regular car.  It would encourage most children to want to drive.  My youngest turns 11 soon, it would make the perfect birthday present for him.  He would love showing off to his friends that he drove a Lamborghini or a Ferrari!

Giving them driving experience early on means the open road at 17 won’t seem quite so scary!  Children can book a greater variety of experiences these days and they are quite affordable as gifts for special occasions.  They can give driving a try without having to worry about navigating heavy traffic or built up areas.

If you have land of your own, you can teach your children to drive on it.  Most of us don’t have enough space though so booking driving experiences is the only way to allow your child the chance to practice driving before they turn 17.  Plus, it’s important to remember they you won’t be covered by insurance if you allow them to drive on your own land.  It might be wiser to start off somewhere like Track Days where they will be sat next to a qualified instructor with some of the cars having dual controls for added peace of mind.

A Helping Hand To Become Drivers

The best thing you can do is help them feel comfortable behind the wheel, but in their own time.  Experiences as a child will make it easier when they first start having driving lessons.  At 17 I wasn’t ready to start driving, all children come along at their own pace.  Start slowly with quiet roads and be very patient and kind whilst they learn the controls.

I really hope my boys will take after their dad and my mum and drive quite happily!  I will be doing everything I can to encourage them because life is much easier when you can drive.