Ashley: At this point, you should begin working to drive packets 5, 6 and 7 and be about 4 months into your driving instruction. Only proceed if you feel that your student is ready for the high speed of an expressway.
Male speaker: Lesson 4 the main program provides in depth instructions on driving on an expressway; however I have some additional tips that may be useful when working with your student. Expressway driving can be intimidating to a new driver, so you must do all that you can to ease them into the experience. Try to make sure that the first expressway entrance ramp your student enters has a long acceleration lane. This gives your student more time to reach the appropriate speed and to find the gap in traffic. If they're noticeably nervous; talk them through the merge; give them clear concise directions and help them find the gap, repeat this at every entrance; until they have comfortable merging without help. Some students would even respond better if their parent actually performs the first few merges and vocally describes what they are doing as they merge.
Avoid entrances with weave lanes at the very beginning but work them in as your student gains confidence. Make sure your student knows that exiting traffic has the right of way at weave lanes. Your first expressway lesson shouldn't last at least 5 miles. Gradually getting longer every week or so. Once your student adjusted the speed at the expressway, begin working on the lane changes as well as speed and position changes. Remind your teen that very small steering adjustments are needed when traveling at high speeds.
Adam: You should also continue to increase distractions such as allowing music to be played a little louder, or beginning small casual conversations. Face it; your teen will have other passengers talking to them while they drive, its better to get them used to it now. However your teen should drive distraction-free on the expressways until they feel comfortable.
Ashley: As always it's a good idea to have your vocally respond to their surroundings. Encourage them to speak out loud when signaling and changing lanes, also have them announce their speed every so often. This will help create an awareness as to how fast they are going.
Adam: If you're haven't already. Now it's a good time to encourage map use and route planning. Use the suggestive list of tasks in your drive packets to determine a route for your student to take during the in car lesson. Make sure your student is helping you to determine this route and actively using a map. Remember to take the raw with you during your in car lesson, even with GPS map technologies and old fashioned atlas is still a must for every car, especially for a long trips and vacations.
Ashley: Once you and your student have created it out, you should work on there navigational skills. For the trip to their destination tell them to right the direction using the terms left and right. For the return trip have them right directions using the terms north, south east and west. Once they begin driving the route you would shout out directions. On the way there you would use left and right to describe turns. On the way back you would use the terms north, east, south and west. This allows them to practice using a map and build their navigational skills. Both which will come in handy if they ever get lost.
Male Speaker: As you progressed through the expressway driving and drive packets five and six; you will eventually come to drive packet number 7, which is a total review of everything you've done over the course of the instruction. You should spend at least a month reviewing everything from starting the car to express way driving.
If you haven't already start incorporating driving in hazardous condition with these conditions such as rain, snow or fog, it'd be a major mistake for you to wait into your student already has their license and is driving on their own before introducing them to hazardous conditions. This review was served as the perfect preparation for the eventual final evaluation. Make sure that your student works on the tasked and skills that they have not yet mastered.
Ashley: Now before we let you go on your way, I'd like to stress the importance of parking invalid high traffic areas at night. This is especially valuable for those of you with daughters; a lot of dangerous things can happen in dark isolated places. Inform them that they should have their keys in their hands and ready to unlock the door by the time they get to their car, also have your student get into the habit of searching the area surrounding the car before entering and exiting. To be safe, have them always check the backseat before hopping in car.
Adam: We hope these tips helped you through the next few lessons. Remember practice each lesson numerous times, once or twice is not enough. Take time getting it right now, because your student's final examination is quickly approaching.
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