Student Drivers

Manual vs auto...

Its not about knowing how to shift. It's about attention span. 
 

My daughter learned on an auto. Really smart kid. Terrible driver. I was constantly thinking she was gonna clip a mailbox.  She just seemed to not be paying attention. 
 

I put her in a manual. My requirement. Overnight she became an exceptional driver. 
 

Turns out she was bored. There is so little feedback in an auto that she didn't think there was much to it at all. It's pretty boring. Seems easy to drive while texting or doing your hair. With a manual, she HAD to pay attention. 
 

Another side benefit... she travels a lot world wide. She has found that none of her friends can rent cars in other countries because most other countries still have a majority of manual shift cars, and they can't drive them. 
 

She was 15 then. She's 32 now. She and I are both happy I pushed the issue. 

I have a lot of interaction with young drivers. I have been in the passenger seat with more than 100 of them. 
 

I realize this is just my experience, but I will say without exception that every single one of them who couldn't drive a manual was an inattentive driver, and every single one of them who was able to drive a manual was an excellent driver, without exception. 
 

It ain't scientific, but I absolutely see a big difference. YMMV. 

vwcorvette (Forum Supporter) said:

I'm so over the gotta learn manual argument. Fewer than 2% of new cars sold over the last decade or so are manuals. They will not figure into this generation's used car purchasing. Get them learning to read their environment, where they are in that environment, and how to chose the best path through that environment. Then if they are interested show them manual. Not enough of them get practice at night or in adverse conditions because parents are uncomfortable in those situations. Maybe focus on that instead?!?!

This is only true in the US. Not in other parts of the world. 
 

I hope they don't want to travel or live overseas. 

jharry3 said:

https://streetsurvival.org/

Sign up early.

I sent my oldest daughter to this in 2015 and she learned a lot.  My youngest daughter is 16 and just got a learner's permit.  I wanted to sign her up as well.

 I just tried to sign her up for the course in Central Texas in late March but its sold out already.   She is on the waiting list.

I'll second this. 

..posting also to add that driving "lessons" is a great way to find some quality time with your kid. No phone just talking about driving and anything else. Quality time. 

SV reX said:

I have a lot of interaction with young drivers. I have been in the passenger seat with more than 100 of them. 
 

I realize this is just my experience, but I will say without exception that every single one of them who couldn't drive a manual was an inattentive driver, and every single one of them who was able to drive a manual was an excellent driver, without exception. 
 

It ain't scientific, but I absolutely see a big difference. YMMV. 

I don't have as big a sample size as you do but I've also observed the same thing.  However, I don't know what's the cause and what's the affect.  Did driving a manual make them more attentive or are more interested drivers more willing to learn to drive a manual?

Folks,

Lotsa great advice here.

I will echo one thread: Use a driving school to get the kids comfortable for city/urban driving.

I was taught how to drive a stick, starting on gravel roads. I used that approach with my kids and it was painless.

Rog

SV reX said:

I have a lot of interaction with young drivers. I have been in the passenger seat with more than 100 of them. 
 

I realize this is just my experience, but I will say without exception that every single one of them who couldn't drive a manual was an inattentive driver, and every single one of them who was able to drive a manual was an excellent driver, without exception. 
 

It ain't scientific, but I absolutely see a big difference. YMMV. 

My girlfriend has bragged about eating sushi while driving. With chopsticks. She drove an autotragic volvo at the time. I built her a car and told her there was no way in hell I was building an auto so I had to teach her to drive manual. She now loves it. Says driving is so much more engaging and that she's actually paying attention. What a concept.

In the midst of this now with my kid. Starting him in an automatic to get used to the process of driving, but he'll be taking over my wife's MINI Cooper S Countryman with a 6-spd when he gets his actual license (still on his learner's permit). He also thinks he's going to be driving my Porsche, so he has incentive to learn stick. Sent him to a crash prevention course which was good for him, and should help with the insurance rates a bit (taught by former racers and ex-cops).

He does the driving to evening sports practices, CCD, or wherever else he needs to be. We make-up errands on the weekend to get him more practice, which usually involve getting food from whichever new fried chicken place is on his list of must-try places (including having him drive into Boston to the only Raising Cane's in New England). Bummed that we've had almost no snow this year as I was looking forward to getting him out in an empty parking lot to feel drifts.

Our biggest issue is that the "professional" school we're signed-up with has so few driving slots available that it's been a nightmare to get our required hours in with them.

iansane said:

SV reX said:

I have a lot of interaction with young drivers. I have been in the passenger seat with more than 100 of them. 
 

I realize this is just my experience, but I will say without exception that every single one of them who couldn't drive a manual was an inattentive driver, and every single one of them who was able to drive a manual was an excellent driver, without exception. 
Besides that I can't help noticing that just like driving school, also college, I think they should be free, this I found out when I was doing writing for college with the help of this source read more and I understood that actually they should be free for young people, because they are in their prime, with ideas and no money, this should be a good boost to give them a start in life.

It ain't scientific, but I absolutely see a big difference. YMMV. 

My girlfriend has bragged about eating sushi while driving. With chopsticks. She drove an autotragic volvo at the time. I built her a car and told her there was no way in hell I was building an auto so I had to teach her to drive manual. She now loves it. Says driving is so much more engaging and that she's actually paying attention. What a concept.

Similar situation, now I don't even get behind the wheel))