The new driver is usually a teen, but that is not always the case. I train a good amount of older drivers – 20-60 years old. We all start with basic skills. The skills of handling a moving vehicle might begin with a golf cart or might only begin with a car. There is simply no substitute for experience. Car handling is part of the challenge. Another major part is understanding the roads and how real world traffic functions.
Reading about traffic and traffic theory are useful tactics, but far from the complete preparation. Watching traffic while a passenger is another key ingredient. Observations as a passenger should be continuous and on every ride as a passenger. The student will often understand what is occurring after seeing things a few times, but it will not become second nature until observed countless times. This is what it takes to see things that are about to happen and to anticipate the actions of other drivers. In the past, young people watched their parents drive from childhood. Many of the upcoming drivers of today, have spent childhood watching movies or a phone or playing a video game. Now is the time to make up for that by continuously observing the road in preparation to drive