OMG- Teenage Drivers

HELP!! :O Son #1 has his driver's permit. I'm so not old enough to have a kid who can drive himself around. LOL ;) To be truthful, he's a year & a half (maybe even two years) over the minimum age but still..

We've driven twice around the local park where we walk because there's no traffic, it's hilly & curvy so he can practice maintaining speed & position in his lane. Today I let him drive us home and then to IKEA after I'd mentally planned a route that reduced merges & left turns. Obviously the interstate was totally out. I'm proud to say he did amazingly well.

I did too to be honest. My mother was terrible to drive with- she's a huge control freak & did very little to make me feel confident in my driving ability. I vowed that the day he got his permit & wanted/needed to drive that I would be very calm, collected & helpful. Relaxed posture, tone of voice & clear instructions. So far I've succeeded. I promised him he'd drive at least a little bit every day, slowly working up to such funatastic things as: highway speeds, on ramp merging, rush hour traffic, etc.

Virginia has many new rules regarding new drivers, which, to be honest, I'm grateful for. Over the last two years there have been several fatal accidents, all involving teens. Adult drivers are agressive enough- add inexperience & youth & it's a dangerous mix. Husband&I plan to take it very very slowly for his safety & our peace of mind.