With a number of teenage drivers dying in vehicle crashes on our roads because of speeding, drinking or driver inexperience, here are more opinions and suggestions on how to best train our youth.
Dear Dr. Gridlock:
Amid all the hand-wringing about teenage fatalities in the Washington area, one facet of the problem has gone conspicuously unreported: the connection between teenage driving and the driving habits of adults in this area.
Washington area drivers -- especially truck and SUV drivers -- have become legendary for speeding, tailgating and red light running. Young people learn by example, and teenagers would have to be blind not to see the examples being set by older drivers.
Robert L. Richardson
Woodbridge
You are right. Parents need to realize that their children will pick up their bad driving habits, and that those lessons may one day lead to a fatal accident.
Dear Dr. Gridlock:
I read your recent column about driver-training lessons that parents could teach their teens before letting them drive solo. Your suggestions were terrific, and I want to share them with my 19-year-old son to improve his skills.
I doubt that he (or many other teens and adults) could now safely negotiate all the driving exercises you described.
Thanks for the real-world advice that surely will help save someone's life.
Karen Deneroff
Oakton
I used these lessons while training my daughters. Parents, you can certainly amend this list with your own ideas. The key is to practice repeatedly until you believe your child is ready to drive on his or her own.
• Practice merges, proper use of turn signals, staying in the proper lane when turning at an intersection, and stopping at a green light if there is not enough room on the other side of the intersection.
