Like a forgotten art form, driving a manual transmission may be one of the most important things to teach your teen after they learn the different types of street signs. There are many benefits for your teen to learn how to drive a standard. 

While the majority of cars on the market today are automatics, there are always those times where knowing how to drive a standard is essential. 

Learning how to drive a standard is one thing; teaching a standard transmission is a whole other story entirely. Thankfully Cars.com put together a fantastic video that will help with a step by step video guide on how to drive a standard. When teaching teens utilizing videos are so helpful. 

Using videos is a great tool when teaching your teen to drive a manual transmission

Patience is always a virtue, and nowhere else is this more important than teaching proper shifting. Deep breaths and a calming voice are key. If your teen becomes overwhelmed, they may want l give up. Remember the importance of their safety and understanding is the most effective way to keep trying with them. Here is another fantastic video to cover the proper technique for driving a standard.

Is Teaching Your Teen to Drive a Manual Worth the Effort?

The key is if you can split the process of driving a manual transmission down into “easy to understand” pieces and then reinforce the value of doing it over and over again, it can help beginners learn a lot faster so they will have more fun and, more importantly, stay healthy.

Much like learning how to change a tire when needed, learning how to drive a standard can come in handy when needed. Plus, understanding how a transmission works will help your new driver to respect the fundamentals and functionality of their car. 

How to drive a stick shift?

When teaching a teen, real-world application always comes in handy. Recently a friend shared “Standard Transmission” a story about when they were teens. A group of them were driving home from a concert. When my friend was becoming tired behind the wheel, they had quite a long way to go, but unfortunately, only one of them knew how to drive a standard. Unfortunately, because of this, they were not able to make it home. They had to stop for the night, find a hotel and drive the rest of the way the following day. If only the others knew how to drive a standard they could have saved almost a day and hundreds of dollars in expenses. 

Ultimately, when teaching teens how to drive, there is more to understand than just the rules of the road. Understanding the functionality of a standard transmission will also help them to appreciate what makes a car operate.