A: Dear Pat: Inexperience is the number one reason teenagers die in car crashes. Because of that, my personal opinion is that you want to have as much time as possible to guide your teen while they’re learning to drive. To me, the best plan is to start them learning as soon as legally possible. While they have their learner’s permit, follow the sequence of lessons that we describe in our “Roadworthy” DVD. That will lay a good foundation of practice, and you’ll be able to judge how well their skills are developing. When you know they’re ready, they should be the ones driving anytime you’re in the car together, so they can get as much experience as possible while you’re there to catch the mistakes. And remember, just because they’ve had their learner’s permit a certain amount of time does NOT mean that they get their license! Lesson 11 of “Roadworthy” explains what I did with my own three kids; it’s the best way I know to feel secure when your teen starts driving without you.  -Mike Pehl