Behind-the-Wheel Version

Listen while traveling to and from work, running errands, or working around the house.  Listen to the section just preceding the next area you will be working on in the vehicle, so the information is fresh in your mind as you begin that training phase.

Some parents select certain segments of the audio series for the student to listen to before or after beginning a training area.  This way the parent does not have to explain everything, and it gives the parent credibility because the student hears it from another source.

6 Part Audio Series for Parent/Trainer:

Part 1
Preparing to Teach In-Vehicle
3 Errors Driver Ed Teachers Make
3 Parts of a Successful Lesson
Tips on Communicating: What to Say & How to Say It
Part 2 –Parking Lot
Void Area, Blind Spots, Basic Controls,
Targeting, Pivot Point, Starting & Stopping,
Commentary Driving, Clearing Intersections,
Lane Changes, Figure 8, Turns, Backing & Parking
Part 3 –On the Road
Neighborhood Selection, Building Habits,
Fundamentals of Vision, Clearing Intersections Visually,
“TLC”, Point of No Return, More Commentary Terms& Path of Least Resistance
Part 4 – Basic Habits of Collision-Free Driving
Neighborhood Driving, Expanding Fundamentals,
Reading the Scene, Reading Intersections,
Commentary for Gap Selection,
Reading Other Drivers & the Scene,
& More Commentary, plus Coaching Tips
Part 5 – Building Driving Skills
Light Traffic, Route Planning,
Point of No Return Revisited, 3 Second Rule,
Stabilize Rear, Path of Least Resistance, Night Driving, Fatigue, Graduated License or “Probation”, Heavy Traffic, Freeway & Rural Driving, Adverse Conditions
Part 6 – The Finishing Touches
In-Vehicle Road Testing, Handling Road Rage,
Expert Driver Evaluation Form, Testing After the License

15 Videos are from the perspective of parent and student working together in the vehicle.  Most of these videos are between 5 and 11 minutes each.  These videos were produced by Driver Ed in a Box® in 2000, and actually show the process of parent/teen in-vehicle training.  These are not just “off the shelf” stock videos designed for ticket dismissal classes or traditional driver education courses – the type that are commercially available, but generally not very effective.

                                                Heavy Traffic
                                                Freeway Driving
                                               Rural Driving
                                               Testing to Produce a Collision-Free Driver

                                Also included:
                                              1 Video addressing ABS brakes (anti-lock brake system), courtesy of General Motors, Inc.
                                              1 Video dealing with drinking and driving, courtesy of the National Road Safety Foundation.

Driver Ed in a Box®

Coaching Tips & Diagrams for effective in-vehicle training and other helpful tools.

A glossary of 89 Commentary terms is included.  These are terms that make it easier for you and your student to communicate quickly and clearly in the vehicle.

In vehicle check list & driving logs. Keeps track of what you have introduced and what your student has mastered, as well as the logs to record your in-vehicle time and progress.

Also included in your Parent Companion are forms you send to Driver Ed in a Box® via fax or mail for 
your completion certificate and insurance discount. (A few states have varying requirements, and you will receive special forms in your State Supplement if you are in one of those states.)

Answer keys for the Student Workbook are right here in the Parent Companion, keeping everything in one convenient place if you have the Text version.  This section is not included for Interactive CD or Behind-the-Wheel versions., since the Interactive CD version corrects the test automatically and there are no classroom tests with the BTW.

Place the rear-view mirror high on the passenger side of the windshield, to cause the least interference with the driver’s view, and adjust it as the parent/trainer’s rear-view mirror. This allows all the mirrors attached to the vehicle to remain focused for the student driver, allowing the student to develop the habit of actually using all the mirrors.

Place the eye-check mirror in the upper right corner of the windshield, and adjust it so you see the student’s face.

This mirror lets you watch the student’s head and eye movements without turning around to look, making the student nervous and taking your eyes off the traffic scene. By watching you student’s head and eye movements, you can remind the student to check the mirrors at the appropriate time, and watch for that look over the shoulder or slight turn of the head before intersections that are such critical habits for your student to develop.