One of my driving students recently told me a great story about seeing safe driving skills in action, and she gave me permission to share it. My student, Peyton, was riding in the back seat right behind her mom, Leslie, for a family trip to Canada. It was a random seat assignment, but it turned out to be the perfect spot for Peyton to learn exactly what it means to keep our eyes moving while driving.
From right behind the driver’s seat, Peyton had a great visual of her mom’s face in the rearview mirror. What she noticed was that her mom’s eyes never stopped moving. She was constantly looking around and maintaining awareness on the road. The weather on that trip went from rain to snow as they traveled north, and the whole time, Leslie kept her eyes alert and her family safe.
Move Around the Car to See Driving Skills in Action
At the end of their drive, Peyton told her mom that watching her from behind helped her fully understand what I have been teaching her about visual awareness. Peyton is a very attentive driver who applies great defensive skills behind the wheel. But it took that experience to genuinely internalize this important concept.
Thank you to Peyton, for sharing an example of how you can continue learning from driving lessons beyond our scheduled time. And thanks, Leslie, for being a safe driver and modeling excellent skills for your daughter! She is seeing responsible driving in action.
This story is a great reminder of how much we learn from watching. If you are coaching your teen driver, or you have a teen who will start driving in the next year or two, ask them to watch you drive from different seats in the car. When they are in the front seat, they can watch how you react to traffic or prepare for turns. From the rear driver’s side, they can focus on your eye movement in the rearview mirror. From the rear passenger’s side, they might have a good view of your hands and your right foot. There is a lot to learn from everywhere in the car.
This is an opportunity for you to do some commentary driving as they ask questions about your decisions and movements. It also gives your teen an important perspective that they may be able to use once they are in the driver’s seat.
Student Drivers Need Front Seat Passenger Time
If you haven’t ever thought about having your teen watch you drive from different seats in the car, I have a really important question for you. Are you giving your teen driver, or soon to be teen driver, enough time in the front seat at all?
Kids seem to remain backseat passengers longer than ever these days. Once upon a time, getting promoted to the front seat was a cherished rite of passage. Siblings kept highly detailed records to ensure fairness of turns in the front seat. These days, it’s not uncommon for a teen to get their permit without ever having ridden in the front seat of a car!
The result I have noticed in lessons is that new drivers tend to be far more nervous if they are also new to sitting in the front seat of the car. Sitting in the front seat and seeing the road from the same lateral position as the driver is a completely different experience than riding in the back. It’s important for teens to be comfortable in this position in the car long before they begin driving.
I understand that with advanced safety standards and height/weight recommendations, kids aren’t able to move to the front seat until they are a bit older. But many don’t bother to make the transition once they surpass those recommendations because they are comfortable in the back for one reason or another. In some large families, it’s a matter of hierarchy where there are always older passengers who don’t “take turns” like we had to back in the day. In some cases, it’s just an old habit that no one ever thought to revisit.
I’m encouraging you now to shake things up and give your teens some time in the front seat! Use that time to have good conversations, talk about driving, and begin teaching them the rules of the road. When they are ready to start driving, they will already have a solid foundation to begin their first lesson.
Real World Lessons Produce Experienced Safe Drivers
I’m really thankful that Peyton shared her story with me. And a big shout out to her for passing her driver’s exam and becoming a licensed driver! Peyton’s example of a real-world driving lesson, even from the back seat, shows the ongoing impact of intentional driving lessons.
As I say all the time, coaching is a two-way process. Students are encouraged to take ownership of what they are learning so that they can apply it independently in the real world. If you are ready to become your teen driver’s coach, check out my Parent’s Survival Guide for New Teen Drivers. The course will help you prepare for effective driving lessons. If you’re looking for even more support, consider Driving Lessons. Our coaches guide teens through a variety of skills to become lifelong safe drivers.
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