When Is The Best Time For Your Kids To Learn How to Drive?

Driving is an essential skill, and one that can be of considerable personal and professional benefit to young people. When young people are able to drive, they’ll enjoy the freedom to pursue opportunities without having to ask anyone for a lift. If there’s a special event on, or a job vacancy to pursue, a full driving license can be an invaluable asset.

But exactly when is the best time to start learning?

Legal Age Requirements and Early Learning Opportunities

If you’re going to learn to drive on public roads, then the earliest you can start is seventeen. This means applying for a provisional driving license, which is possible once you’re fifteen years and nine months old.

If you get, or apply for, the enhanced rate of the mobility component of the Personal Independence Payment (PIP), then you might actually be able to start learning slightly earlier, at sixteen. When the driving experience takes place on private property, the rules are relaxed even further. There are lessons available to drivers as young as ten, for those eager young motorists who want to kick-start their time on the road.

Assessing Your Child’s Maturity and Readiness

Of course, not all children will be emotionally ready for the responsibility of a driver’s license. Children who are prone to risky behaviours, and who struggle to cope with complex, stressful environments, might find that they struggle to adapt to life behind the wheel. On the other hand, the responsibility of a vehicle might provide children of this disposition with exactly the push they need to develop and mature.

Financial Implications of Learning to Drive

There’s no denying that learning to drive can be an expensive thing. The costs come from many sources, from the lessons, to the tests, to the fuel. Young drivers who are practising in their own cars will need to be insured to be legally roadworthy.

To help manage these expenses, there is an insurance specifically for your drivers. Through it, you’ll get flexible short-term cover that’s perfect for learners.

Recent Developments in Young Driver Safety

In recent times, there have been a number of interesting proposals designed to ease the transition onto public roads for young people, and to address the problem of higher accident rates among new and inexperienced drivers. These generally involve a more gradual system of licenses. For example, according to the RAC, teenage drivers should be banned from transporting passengers – since passengers tend to be associated with peer pressure, and with higher levels of risk. Whether these measures are actually adopted remains to be seen – but many parents might seek to impose their own rules when it comes to passenger transport, late-night driving, and other risky behaviours.