Teach Your Teen to Drive Safely and Confidently
Discover the 7 most common mistakes parents make — and how to avoid them before it’s too late.
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Get Your Free Scorecard
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 ✔ Instant PDF Download
âś” Parent-Friendly Training Tips
âś” Real-World Defensive Driving Strategies
Your next step
Check your email for scorecard access
New to BTWS? You will receive two emails: a scorecard access confirmation and a separate welcome email with your login credentials. Use the login details in the welcome email to access your account.
Already have an account? Use your existing email and password. Once signed in, open Teen Readiness Scorecard in your library and download the PDF. Allow a few minutes for the emails and check spam or promotions if needed. If you cannot find your login details, choose “Forgot Password?” on the login page.
Once you have your scorecard, identify two areas to focus on during your next three supervised drives. Want to see how we teach those skills? Watch a course preview.
Free five-page parent resource
Teen Driver Readiness Scorecard
Know what to work on before the next stage of driving.
Your teen may feel comfortable behind the wheel while still needing practice with a few important skills. Use this scorecard to notice what is becoming consistent, identify what needs attention, and plan your next three supervised drives.
24 observations · 6 skill areas · A plan for your next 3 drives
What you’ll look for
- Vehicle control: smooth starts, stops, steering, and routine checks.
- Scanning and awareness: looking ahead and noticing developing situations.
- Intersections: approaching with attention and identifying potential conflicts.
- Speed and space: adjusting to conditions and allowing room to respond.
- Risk recognition: understanding what could happen next.
- Handling the unexpected: maintaining control and refocusing after a mistake.
Turn observations into a practice plan
- Reflect after the drive. Rate what you usually observe, rather than your teen’s best or worst moment.
- Use the simple scale. 0 means not yet, 1 means developing, and 2 means consistent.
- Choose two focus areas. Use the planning space to make those skills the focus of your next three supervised practice sessions.
If you haven’t observed a skill, note that instead of guessing. Don’t create a difficult driving situation just to complete the scorecard.
Competence before complexity
A clearer conversation, without rushing progress
A lower score helps you see where more coaching is needed. A higher total does not cancel out an important skill that still needs work. Use the individual observations to guide the conversation and keep practice suited to your teen’s current abilities.
This is a parent observation and planning tool, not a validated driving test or permission to advance or drive alone. Continue appropriate supervision and follow your state’s licensing requirements.
From identifying the skill to teaching it
Want help knowing how to practice?
The scorecard helps you identify what needs attention. Behind The Wheel Skills gives parents structured video lessons with Clay coaching a student, so you can see the teaching in action before practicing together.
Mike shares the guidance you see in our public videos. His father, Clay, provides the instruction inside the course. Our goal is to help you turn practice time into purposeful learning, one skill at a time.
A few questions parents ask
Is the scorecard free?
Yes. Enter your name and email to request free access to the five-page PDF in your BTWS library. No course purchase is required.
How do I get the PDF?
After signing up, check your email for your scorecard access confirmation. New to BTWS? Look for a separate welcome email with your login credentials. Already have an account? Use your existing email and password. Once signed in, open Teen Readiness Scorecard in your library and download the PDF. Check spam or promotions if needed, or choose “Forgot Password?” on the login page.
My teen is just starting. Can I use it?
Start with the observations that fit the practice you have already supervised. The other areas show skills you will observe later; they are not a reason to move into a harder environment now.
Does a strong score mean my teen is ready to drive alone?
No. The scorecard helps organize your observations. It does not certify readiness, replace an instructor’s assessment, or replace licensing requirements.
Inside This Free PDF, You’ll Learn:
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 ✅ The #1 mistake that causes tension and delays learning progress
✅ Why “just driving around” actually forms bad habits
âś…Â How to coach without criticism (even when your teen makes scary mistakes)
âś…Â The safest way to expose your teen to:
- Rain
- Night Driving
- Highways
- Traffic
✅ Why most parent-led driving plans fail — and how to fix it fast
  Created by Behind The Wheel Skills — a parent-led driving course backed by 40+ years of real-world experience helping teens drive safely and confidently.
WHAT PARENTS ARE SAYING
Bobby F
After my 17-year-old daughter totaled her car, Clay agreed to work with her on defensive driving. She has never had another accident since. When my son turned 16, I asked Clay to work with him too. He is now a professional tractor-trailer driver for a major transportation company. My 15-year-old grandson is now enrolled in this course.
Amber M
My son and I finished all the videos and downloads. It was truly amazing and I found them so informative. They are also very professionally made/edited. They contain key points that I had not been teaching my son because I took them for granted. Our brains really do so much when we drive. I think it is an excellent course and I’m sure many parents will benefit. I have learned so much about teaching my kids to drive.
Kami H
Behind The Wheel Skills was a game changer for my teenager (and me). It was simple to follow along with and made me feel confident that my new driver has the skills she needs to be successful. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
MEET THE TEAM
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Behind The Wheel Skills was created by the Harrell family with one mission: helping families raise safer, more confident teen drivers.Â
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With decades of real-world defensive driving experience, years spent training drivers, and a passion for helping families succeed, the Harrells built a clear, step-by-step system designed to give parents the structure and confidence needed to train teens safely for the road ahead.
