The State of Texas requires that all teen drivers under the age of 18 take driver education classes in addition to the required Impact Texas Drivers (ITD) Program. While no one may apply for a learner license until reaching 15 years of age, they can start taking the classes as young as 14. These new drivers have three choices. If they go to public school, they may be able to take driver’s education in high school. If driver education is not offered at school, teen drivers in Texas can take a traditional drivers ed course at a driving instruction school, or they can get a parent-taught driver education (PTDE).
What is Parent-Taught Driver's Ed?
Also called Parent-Taught Driver's Ed, PTDE allows parents to take part in teaching their kids how to drive.
There are numerous advantages to PTDE. For one, teens can get their permits faster, after finishing just six hours of coursework. In contrast, instructor-led driving courses require more coursework. Then, there is the matter of driving instruction. When you choose PTDE, your teen will spend 14 hours of driving with you and 30 hours with any licensed adult over 21.
If your teen goes through instructor-led driver education, those initial 14 hours are going to be spent with the driving instructor. Finally, the fees associated with PTDE are much lower. Instructor-led driver education costs more because you are paying for the instructor’s time. When parents take control of their teen drivers’ education, they often save hundreds.
Choosing Instructor-Led Driver's Ed
With so many advantages, it may be surprising that anyone would choose instructor-led driver education, but there are some cases when parents simply cannot teach their teens to drive. In some cases, the parent may not drive anymore, especially people who live in urban areas and opt for public transportation instead of driving.
Further, there are some instances when a parent is not permitted to teach their children to driven in lieu of an instructor-led program. Parents who have had a DWI on their records are not eligible to participate in the PTDE program. The Texas Department of Public Safety also prohibits a parent from leading PTDE if they have had their license suspended or revoked in the last three years. Furthermore, a parent must have less than six points on their driving record to provide parent taught driver education.
Finally, while experienced parent drivers can teach their teens the basics about driving, they may be unprepared to go into some of the details that new drivers need to know, such as the correct distance to stay behind a firetruck.
How Can iDriveSafely Help?
Teaching someone how to drive is not as simple as explaining how to operate the vehicle. There are standards for what the teen needs to learn. Many of PTDE parents augment their efforts with an online course like I Drive Safely’s Texas Parent-Taught Driver's Ed. This offering is approved by the Texas DPS and TDLR. In fact, it surpasses their requirements and helps keep teen drivers safe by giving them all the information they need to be the best drivers possible. Your teen gets to learn how to drive from someone they know and trust while being in the same vehicle that they may drive after getting their license.
The curriculum is accessible, and parents have the opportunity to monitor their child’s progress along the way. Plus, I Drive Safely’s PTDE course is convenient. Teens can study when it suits them, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and they can access live customer support if they run into any issues.
