[Bit]

Hey everyone,

Just a heads-up: When I say "kids," I mean those who are physically, mentally, and legally fit to drive responsibly.

A lot of us are reaching the point where our kids are about to get their driver's licenses or are already of driving age. It’s time to think about introducing them to the world of cars. I’d love to hear from the DADDY BHPians on these questions:

1. Manual vs. Automatic: If you’ve got both types of cars available, which should you teach them to drive first? Manual might be better since mastering it means they can drive both manual and auto. But auto could be simpler and more fun to start with and spark their interest. What’s your opinion?

2. Driving School vs. Teaching Yourself: Is it better to send them to a driving school or teach them yourself? Why?

3. Teaching Responsible Driving: We all know the basics, but are there any special tips or tricks you’ve learned that could help make them better drivers?

4. Right Age to Start: And finally, what age do you think is ideal to start teaching them to drive, keeping it fun, sensible, and safe?

Any other advice on teaching them to drive is also appreciated (after introducing them to TeamBHP, ofcourse). It’s our job to help build the next generation of mannered human beings on roads!

[rakesh_r]

The first and foremost, if you are one of those aggressive drivers, get disturbed, use explicit language, get involved in road rage, tone down. I used to be a very impatient driver with a short fuse. With my kid on board i have heavily toned down.
Kids look at us to understand life, how we behave is how they would turn out to be when they grow up.

[14000rpm]

Originally Posted by Bit

4. Right Age to Start: And finally, what age do you think is ideal to start teaching them to drive, keeping it fun, sensible, and safe?

I started teaching my daughter driving with Go-Karting from the age of 6 (now 8 yr old). She has understood the fundamentals of steering, Braking, cornering, Speed control etc. I'd say, that is 40% covered already. Rest is real world experience which will only be at 18.

I know your question is pointing at 18 yr olds. My point is that kids can be taught in a safe environment, if available, much earlier than their teens.

[GTO]

If your kid is into cars already, that's great. They will start early and there is just so much information available today on cars / driving in general. If not into cars, best to take it even slower.

Some tips from my side:

- Training by a professional driving school is a must.

- The car they start driving on should be either underpowered, or have moderate power levels at best. BHP rating in the 2 digits preferred, nothing over 100 BHP. This will help them understand their limits and the limits of machinery better.

- Will probably divide opinions, but strictly no motorcycles for anyone in my house. They are just way too dangerous in India. Even 2-wheeler lovers of this forum agreed in this poll (Motorcyclists & Scooterists of Team-BHP | What is your risk perception of riding in India?).

- Start slow (in terms of car & driving) and work your way up. There is no hurry. A typical 18-year old will be driving for the next 50-60 years.

- I would get one of those tracking apps that keep a tab on the car's speed, usage timings and location.

- Earn a Team-BHP membership and read the awesome member threads on safe driving .

Originally Posted by Bit

Manual vs. Automatic

Manual would be a nice skill to have, but it's not at all necessary today. A young car enthusiast would be inclined to try a manual, but not the regular young Joe. My bhabhi is currently undergoing driver training and she is only learning on ATs.

Driving School vs. Teaching Yourself

Both.

Right Age to Start

Parents know best and whenever they think the kid is responsible enough. I have seen some cases where car keys were handed over at 21, not 18.

[NomadSK]

Originally Posted by Bit

A lot of us are reaching the point where our kids are about to get their driver's licenses or are already of driving age. It’s time to think about introducing them to the world of cars. I’d love to hear from the DADDY BHPians on these questions:

Interesting, Driving is a fundamental life skill and everyone should acquire it. My Mom learned it at the age of 55 and around 12 years down the line, she is the safest driver in the family.

I'm in the process of teaching my daughter how to drive. She has shown keen interest in driving since young age. Recently she turned 16 and is now legally allowed to drive cars on public roads. She is already booked for her driving classes in Dec this year (huge waiting period) in order to get her DL.

So these days during weekends early morning I take her out for driving classes in an open empty parking area. Before doing that for a week, I took her theory classes while taking her to the classes for the road signs, and educate her where she should stop, slow down, when to give way and what to do in real life scenarios.

She took the automatic car like a fish to water, I sat on the passenger seat and was her instructor,

1st day - She learned to do a 360 degree visual look, adjust the seat and mirrors, brief about the pedals and questions being asked what she can see in the mirrors. I unleashed my dog and told her to find him in the mirrors, so that she can visualize and have the context set how to see in rear view mirrors and find the object. No gears were slotted and car was stationary whole time. Later showed her where the spare tire is and where the jack is. With no engine running, told her to slot the gears with brakes pressed in D, R N, P. She asked for the 4x4 usage, which I said not at this moment. She made me open the hood and wanted me to explain a bit of mechanics to her since she has an inquisitive mind and wanted to know what moves this 2.5 tonner. This made me show her the knobs location for opening the hood and for the fuel lid, which are on the either side of the steering column.

2nd Day - Learning was for using indicators, headlights, parking lights and the usage of washer/wipers. Showed her the stalk and how they operate. Instructed her to insert the keys and see the MID for all signs. Explained her a bit, but she got more confused at this moment, so I ignored this for the day. Now allowed her to fire the engine (and how to release the keys when engine is fired) she kept holding the keys, with brake depressed and told her not to modulate the accelerator, but just drive the car with brake modulation. She did fine for 20-25 mins going around in circles and other shapes without touching the accelerator.

3rd Day - Allowed her to modulate the accelerator little bit and told her if I tap her leg, then just pull the feet away from the throttle. There were couple of bumps too, where it needs to slow down, this was the moment when I realized she doesn't have a speed idea of slowing down or the amount of pressure she needs to apply on the breaks to slow down the car. She was a bit skeptical in applying more pressure, was of the opinion that accelerator and brake pressure would be kind of same. She told me it was my mistake, I should have told her this.

4th day - Made her stop the car from 20kmph to Zero by stomping on the brakes. Just to make her feel how the car and brakes behaves when suddenly applied. This day was used only to make her familiar with hard braking. Another thing I told her not to go pedal to the metal type of thing.

5th Day - Parking in and out. Reverse parking was a challenge for her. She needs to learn it at the driving school. Reverse in open was fine, but tight spots she forgets what to do with the steering while reversing. I guess its spatial disorientation while reversing.

6th Day - She was confident to drive on the public road, which I haven't yet allowed, but taking her regularly to the parking area for more practice, so far she's strictly instructed to not go above 30kmph in a parking lot. By the way its a huge open area to practice and on weekends its just empty.

These are just some of the basics I could teach her, rest I will keep for the "driving school" to take care of.

1. Manual vs. Automatic:

Only Automatics, I prefer everyone to use automatics, unless one is a super enthusiast or is having a racing career.

2. Driving School vs. Teaching Yourself: Is it better to send them to a driving school or teach them yourself? Why?

I guess both, If you are a good driver and know the rules. But at any time don't inculcate wrong habits unknowingly.

3. Teaching Responsible Driving: We all know the basics, but are there any special tips or tricks you’ve learned that could help make them better drivers?

Make them empathetic towards others. I told her, driving comes with a responsibility and never to speed up. Rest I guess they will learn in real life scenarios.

4. Right Age to Start: And finally, what age do you think is ideal to start teaching them to drive, keeping it fun, sensible, and safe?

16 is the age here, but I guess as a parent you are the one who would know when it would be right age to hand over the keys to the kid. My parents kept the DL under lock and key till they felt comfortable.

At the end of the day its fun to hear her tales of driving when she describes it to her mom. Those million dollar tales, when she tells her mom that she will take her to shopping soon are priceless

[It's Magic]

Originally Posted by Bit

1. Manual vs. Automatic:

Don't think it would make much difference in the long run. If a kid is going to driving school, they will most likely learn to drive a manual car. Currently, it's good to know how to drive both manual and automatic cars. But in the future, automatics will most likely be the norm, and it should be fine if you only know how to drive automatics.

Originally Posted by Bit

2. Driving School vs. Teaching Yourself:

A kid should go to a good driving school to learn the basics and get some good driving exposure under the supervision of an instructor. Later, you can take them for a ride on an open road or ground to understand where they stand and then teach them a few things if needed.

Originally Posted by Bit

3. Teaching Responsible Driving:

Once the kid understands the basics and can drive confidently, you can teach them how to be responsible on the road and what to consider or keep an eye on while driving. You can pass the knowledge you gained from your driving experience.

Originally Posted by Bit

4. Right Age to Start:

This can only be done after the kid reaches the legal driving age. You would be the best judge of when your kid is ready.

Originally Posted by Bit

Any other advice on teaching them to drive is also appreciated

1. As another user pointed out, it's important how you drive yourself, as your kid will be observing you. Avoid unnecessary aggression or impulsiveness while on the road.
2. As GTO suggested, start with small car with moderate power.
3. Let your kid take their own time to learn and get perfect. Try not to hurry or push your kid into driving.

Best wishes!

[ron178]

Sorry for hijacking the thread, I started only 2 years ago, here are some *fresh* if misinformed inputs:

1. I think it's easier to unconsciously speed in an automatic. Where an automatic would upshift and pick up speed if you tried to hear the revs, gears are practically speedlimiters. For me, getting into 4th on the Polo takes careful planning — are my revs high enough to prevent lugging? Will I need to downshift soon? On the other hand in our Octavia I tend to pick up speed much more nonchalantly without meaning to. Maybe comparing a 3-pot 76 hp to a heavily insulated 178 hp is apples-to-oranges, but I have cousins my age who learned on noisy, modestly powered automatics and developed a speeding habit.

2. A good driving school would probably help. My father was insistent that I stay in the driving school even after getting my licence, but all my instructor really did was use the IRVM as a vanity mirror, blast the stereo and constantly complain that I was too slow, and even the test was a joke. Having the licence practically meant nothing in terms of fitness to drive — it took a lot of driving around with my parents to come to anything that can be called remotely close to that, even by beginner standards. Having access to professional training would depend on where you live.

3. Join Team-BHP early There is a wealth of practical advice on here to learn from, although you need to be wise in deciding what to trust and use.

4. I started at 18 in the break between +2 and college, but in general I've noticed people I know who started at the same time tend to drive more rashly than friends who learned later. That said, correlation is not causation — I guess those with a thrill-seeking kind of personality just happen to actively seek out a driving licence at 18 while others might be more relaxed about it.

More unsolicited advice:
Maybe first try to start the "normal" way peers are doing it to make the environment comfortable and understand the basic idea of driving first through different angles — technical, social, petrolhead, etc. You can then start introducing best practices and advanced ideas that won't be understood well without first having the experience of "operating a car" (I won't say driving). External motivation towards becoming a more responsible driver is likely to be superficial at best and probably won't do very much.

[binand]

Originally Posted by Bit

I’d love to hear from the DADDY BHPians on these questions.

(Nitpick with the way the question is framed in a gender role affirming fashion).

My son turned 18 last year (2023) but what with college admissions and his own plans for the twin celebrations of attaining adulthood and leaving formal schooling - driving lessons didn't work out. So it was during the summer vacation of 2024 that he completed his driver ed and got his license.

In 2023 I enrolled him in a local driving school. To call it a haphazard operation is going to be the understatement of the decade. The fellow manning the front desk at their "office" (who I understood, is the owner of the place) was eager only to collect the fees and enrol him. When the time came for the actual lessons instructors weren't aware of this new student / didn't know his preferred timings / or his preferred car / weren't punctual (doorstep pickup) / bunked without warning etc. etc. It was a pain and I think that 7K of mine simply went down the drain.

In 2024 I enrolled him in a Maruti driving school (for the record: Bimal Maruti on IRR in Domlur - 2nd floor of the showroom building). The cost was similar and the package was 4 sessions of theory + 9 sessions on a simulator + 12 sessions on-road for a total of 25 sessions. After half the sessions were over he borrowed my sister-in-law's car to practice on his own (L board and shotgun driver as the rules demand, provided by me). We'd typically go round home-Bellandur-Agara-Koramangala-Ejipura-Domlur-home in an hour or so on Sundays, running errands if there are any.

An aside on the MCWG license. Bimal said they don't teach, but they'd facilitate the test along with the LMV one; no problem. So the way we went about it was for him to try out on my sister-in-law's TVS Wego - easy-peasy (he'd already been using Yulu) - and then later on, a CT100 that I rented from Bykemania (Oh. Didn't know cold start on a bike is such a pain). Note that the rental bike with white on black plate cannot be used for the test (for which we had to borrow a neighbour's RX100). I made him do cold starts from our steep basement exit ramps without stall/rollback hundred+ times - he hated me for those. :-)

Tests happen (at Kasturi Nagar - KA03 RTO) once a week on Tuesdays. It was a very orderly affair. First, register and get biometrics taken. Then queue up for LMV first, MCWG later. He cleared LMV first attempt but MCWG, the bike stalled and he failed. We went back two weeks later and this time he cleared that too.

After clearing the LMV test, I started him on our Polo (AT). Picking up my daughter from school, local errands, general driving around - all. There were some lacunae in his technique that I was able to correct during these.

A week or so after he cleared both tests the license appeared in his Digilocker. The smartcard took another 2-3 weeks.

Manual vs. Automatic: Since the school had only manuals and test had to be taken on a manual, during the learning phase (pre-test) I didn't allow him anywhere near our two ATs. Once he cleared the test it has all been AT.

Driving School vs. Teaching Yourself: Ours was a mixed approach. But I allowed the first several classes to be exclusively in the school so that basics like steering control, width/length judgment all came under professional guidance.

Teaching Responsible Driving: This is ongoing and I didn't want to outsource this at all. Entirely on me (though the simulator sessions had touched upon some aspects of this).

Right Age to Start: The law allows them to drive once they're 18, and I believe I shouldn't be second-guessing that. So, I'd answer this as "start on the child's 18th birthday".

Any Other Advice: A month after he cleared his test he asked me if he and his friends could go on a weekend trip to a hill station (100 km away from his college) in a rented car. I said no - my message was "everything you've learned so far - at Bimal, with me - has been primarily aimed at clearing the RTO test. The real driving lessons began only after that, and you are still a novice. The way we will go about it is - perfect comfort inside Bangalore, then on dual-carriageway highways and only then on single-carriageway roads. Wait.".

[svsantosh]

Good thread.

My 2 cents, the way you present yourself and behave before your elder parents, neighbors, spouse, friends, colleagues - when your kids are around - do the same on the road. You smile and talk, shake hands, listen to them, hear and see and then respond, acknowledge, let them have their serving first, fill their glasses, dont cuss them or shout at them, etc etc, you get the drift, just do the same from your car seat.

The basics of driving comes from observing what others do, and repeat all their life.

At 43 I had to unlearn and relearn the art of driving, the hard way. Now my 12 yr son (along with my desi driver wife) are saying 'why arent you cussing, not honking, now swerving, speeding or slowing' basically they are not used to seeing me drive following the rules.

Hope by observing a more responsible father/driver my next gen can be better drivers.

[silverado]

Originally Posted by svsantosh

At 43 I had to unlearn and relearn the art of driving, the hard way.
Hope by observing a more responsible father/driver my next gen can be better drivers.

Bang ON, i was the same but have mellowed down now that i am 43
Parents dropping kids to school violate so many rules. My daughter asks me to take wrong side on occasions when she is late and i need to drop her, but i never take it.

Apart from this, all the news of underage drivers being caught should be shared and discussed with teenage kids so that they are aware that no matter what they should not be touching bike/ car keys before they get a license.

Above all there is a big role schools can play in inculcating these habits, in Pune Aundh there is a traffic park for kids and many schools bring kids here to learn traffic rules.

[B-Taurus]

My son has been observing me driving since a very young age and I used those opportunities to teach him the basics of steering, gear shift, traffic rules etc.

The day he turned 18 I enrolled him at a driving school (let’s leave it to the professionals) to start with and this also helps in acquiring the DL.

I wanted him to start with the manual transmission, and after the first few classes I borrowed my friend’s manual Hyundai i10 and I took him to the city outskirts.

Found a place where there’s no traffic but road is good (usually some layout with open plots).

The advantage with this approach is that he can focus on the “driving” without bothering about the traffic, otherwise it could be quite overwhelming.

We did this every weekend and once I felt that he’s comfortable with “driving” we started early morning drives around my home when traffic is very light.

After a few weeks he went for his DL test and cleared it easily. Now it was time to switch to AT (as my car is an AT and the whole hidden agenda was to get driving support in future).
Borrowed a friend’s Alto AT for a few days and took the same approach as earlier (outskirts with no traffic) and then slowly introduced him to traffic in the city.

After our early morning drives I could see that he was driving quite confidently. Then switched to my XL6 AT and now he is the one who drives every time we go out as family. He’s gone out with his friends a few times in the Alto but not yet in the XL6 without me beside him.

Switching between the Alto and XL6 has resulted in a small dent on the XL6 (he was reversing without looking into the reverse camera video and ignored the parking sensor audio warning as he’s not used you these on the Alto).

I think I should stick to XL6 for him and avoid this switching between the cars, but the Alto is more available for him as I use my car everyday.

Next in plan is a long drive on the highway just for practice. During our real long drive in December I hope he’ll do most of the driving, something I’ve been looking forward to��

[1.2TSI7DSG]

Originally Posted by Bit

Hey everyone,

3. Teaching Responsible Driving: We all know the basics, but are there any special tips or tricks you’ve learned that could help make them better drivers?

Few things that my dad taught me are:

1. In case of doubt, stop/don't drive. Fear, tension, drowsiness, lack of clarity. If you doubt any of that, don't drive till you have enough confidence/information to go that route.

2. When you drive, it is your responsibility not to make mistakes and to take care of other people's mistakes. Bike wala poking/rixa wala cutting, Bus wala driving parallel- it may fun for them but if you doubt don't get involved. If you spot an irresponsible driver, keep him ahead because you can control how to react if he slips up. If he slips up behind, you won't be able to do much. Don't be out to teach lessons as you won't be able to solve world hunger. Keep to your lanes as you would save 30 secs at the cost of an accident every time you cut/do an unpredicted manoeuvre

3. The speed you drive should be the lowest of the three - Aukat of you as a driver, aukat of your vehicle and aukat of the road. Anything unknown, slow down.

4. Driving in the rain and night is a skill that is to be mastered. Avoid twilight times, have a chai break every 2 hrs irrespective of your alertness and driving skills.

5. Last and most important: your vehicle is a powerful vehicle, so please drive it carefully - 1 tonne is 10x of your weight - so if you crash you can kill someone

These things weren't taught at any professional school.

[Phantom 510]

1. First up, is the taking care of the car. Keeping the car clean, eye on the fluids , air pressure, service dates. All these will grow their attachment for the car. Also how to change a flat tyre when needed.
2. Only manual transmission in the beginning.
3. Teaching them how to drive with progressive inputs without being abrupt on accelerator and brakes.
4. Anticipate in advance and keep scanning constantly the surrounding all the time and taking it easy on new roads no matter how inviting they might seem.
5. Not letting them take the car out without a license and till they have mastered the above.

[G13BB]

If you sense a hint of enthusiasm in your kid, you can start involving them in the car maintenance process from a very very young age (as early as maybe at the age of 6). By maintenance I mean, involving them in the car wash process, taking them to the service centres, involving them in the new car buying process etc. That was exactly what my dad did, I used to help him with car washes even during primary school, I used to be involved in car buying/selling discussions etc. This not only gives them immense knowledge but also prepares them to independently take care of their own vehicles. When a son/daughter starts driving a car of their own, they should not expect their dads to wash/maintain the car for them. "I can only drive the car, I cannot take care of it or maintain it, it is your responsibility" We should never hear such things from them, hence early education is really important.

Now, coming to your questions:

1. Manual vs. Automatic: If they show interest in learning a Manual, go ahead with it, otherwise it makes no sense to learn a Manual in 2024 as the days for conventional Manuals are limited (unfortunately). Also, you can get an automatic variant in almost every car, so it should not matter much.

2. Driving School vs. Teaching Yourself: It is better to send them to a driving school, preferably a professional one with simulators as our roads are becoming increasingly dangerous.

3. Teaching Responsible Driving: Always staying composed, we should drive exactly like we expect the next generation to drive, cause they learn what they see, so we should set the right example. If your kid is sitting in the front seat, no matter what the age is, they WILL observe your driving style and techniques, so drive responsibly.

4. Right Age to Start: It all depends on the awareness and maturity they carry, there is no right age to start.

Finally, do not force anyone to learn to drive just because we want them to become enthusiasts like us, it has to come from within.

[AJ56]

Taking my own example, the earlier you teach basic car control, the better.

I started karting at age 6, and was quite good at it by age 8. Here you can also evaluate if the kid wants to get into professional motorsport, if yes then it is at these ages that you have to start. My dad asked me but I didn’t want to race professionally.

Driving sims with a good force feedback wheel, pedals and a shifter are another great tool to sharpen hand eye coordination at higher speeds with zero risk.

Personally I’ve found gaming and flying RC planes are very beneficial to developing solid reflexes and quick hand eye coordination. Once you fly a 150cc aerobatic aircraft inverted at 250 km/hr in a well controlled manner (takes years to perfect), cars will feel like a cakewalk.

Start in a real car at age 15-16 (height being the only limiting factor), on closed and private roads. I’ve not found any decent driving schools till date, so safe to say I’ll be teaching my kids as my dad taught me.

The day they turn 18 you can apply for a learners license and once you have it, start driving on public roads. Note: at this point the child should have hundreds of hours of simulator and karting practice and at least a few dozen hours of driving a full sized car on closed/private roads.

So they are very familiar with car control and can focus on traffic rules and understanding how traffic flows in India.

After 300 hours or at least a year with a full license I’d say they’re ready to drive solo assuming they are a safe and cautious driver and not prone to any dangerous behaviour.

I disagree on limiting new drivers to underpowered cars. If one wants to speed, even a 90HP economy box can hit 150 in a relatively short amount of time.

It’s never about the car, always the driver. If your child is prone to speeding, they shouldn’t be driving unsupervised to begin with.