Stage 4: Overview
Locations: Highways and city streets
Length of Stage: As long as it takes! For most parents, their teen’s 16th birthday falls sometime before or during Stage 4. It can be difficult to keep your teen engaged in this learning process once they feel they’ve earned their right to independence (by virtue of having turning 16, of course). It is your job to complete the program and to avoid caving in to their desire to drive sans parent until they’ve proven they’re capable of doing it.
At this point in your driving lessons, your teen has become a fairly confident driver. They can handle multiple cars in a variety of locations ranging from parking lots to city and residential streets. They have an increasingly good sense of what is going on around their car due to their space management system. They are aware of and can handle the dangers and risks of intersections. They’ve also dabbled in night driving and can perform two-point, three-point, and u-turns safely and confidently.
Therefore, it’s time for you and your teen to move on to Stage 4. In this stage, your teen will learn how to drive on the highway. Don’t panic, it’s not as scary as you think. You’ll also work on learning to drive in hazardous conditions. You’re almost finished. Keep up the good work!
Continue on to Getting Acquainted with the Highway