Our top tips for parents of learner drivers

In an attempt to help you navigate the learner-driver phase of being a parent, we consult the real champions of this situation: the parents who made it through. Here are our top tips from parents for parents.

Make sure your child feels physically comfortable in the car they’re learning in. Is the seat close enough to the pedals, is the steering wheel adjusted appropriately, do they have good visibility in all three mirrors? You’re really starting on the back foot if your child doesn’t feel comfortable.

Buy suction cup learner plates – anything else is an exercise in tossing money. Magnetic plates don’t like plastic surfaces or aluminium panels and the self-stick type inevitably lose their stick. Suction cup plates are easy to use and harder to lose.

Maybe a birthday or Christmas is drawing closer and some (considerate) family members will enquire about the most appropriate gifts to give your kids. Why don’t you suggest they pay for a professional driving lesson? Get them all to pitch in and bulk-buy a discount group of lessons.

Let's be honest, parents are not the best teachers. Your kids need a professional, not a white-knuckle mum or dad in the passenger seat. Learner drivers need to understand that the test is hard and the odds are stacked against them; around 50 per cent of first-timers fail. Time spent with a professional will help them focus on the right techniques, with safety as a priority.

If you’ve got access to a paddock, let your kid explore the wonderful world of driving there, away from public roads, objects to bump into and with fewer distractions (and greater room for error). Grab the family SUV and head bush. Away from public roads, you can also safely practice emergency braking; stomp it like nobody’s watching.

Chip away at those 120 hours with regular learning time and good planning. Schedule a couple of longer trips and teach your kids that the journey (a good old road trip) can be as fun as the destination. Teach them how to plan a long trip, including rest breaks and fuel stops. (Yes, the car needs fuel.)

Make this your child’s responsibility. The great news is that Learner driver logbooks are going online – web and app-based. The bad news is that it’s not happening until early next year and it’s currently a Victorian initiative only.

If you’re restricting your learner driver sessions to fair weather days only, you’re significantly limiting their driving experience. While the learner driver’s logbook prescribes a set amount of day and night time driving hours, it doesn’t speak of weather conditions. Use your common sense and expose your kids to all types of real-world driving as much as possible.

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