45-Hour Parent/Teen Driving Guide

As part of Virginia’s graduate licensing programs, teen drivers must have 45 hours of behind-the-wheel practice, 15 of which must be after sunset, before they are eligible for a provisional license. 

The 45-Hour Parent/Teen Driving Guide is technical assistance guide that provides parents with a systematic approach to guide their teen toward remaining collision-free in both low- and high-risk driving environments. The suggested lessons in the guide follow a sequential learning pattern that progresses from the parking lot to neighborhoods, to light traffic, to rural highways, to expressways and then to city driving. Each lesson provides parents with an estimated amount of time the student will need to achieve mastery; however, because students have different abilities and learning styles, parents need to spend as much time as necessary to allow your child to master the skills before moving on to the next lesson.

Research shows that in order to remain collision-free, parents must model safe driving behaviors and invest in meaningful guided practice over a long period of time to turn these skills into good driving habits!

For a copy of the 45-Hour Parent/Teen Driving Guide, go to: https://www.doe.virginia.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/1994/637949897707070000.