If you’re doing Texas parent-taught driver’s ed (or PTDE) with your teen, you know there’s a lot of driving involved. Seven hours of in-car observation, seven hours of behind-the-wheel instruction, and 30 hours of behind-the-wheel practice, to be exact. But what exactly are you supposed to be teaching in those 44 hours?
The state of Texas provides parents with a bunch of great resources as part of their PTDE packet. We also have an in-depth lesson plan [link] that breaks down all the skills a driver needs by driving environment (with handy little checkboxes!).
But sometimes, you just want a quick reference you can keep at hand to make sure you’re covering all the bases. That’s why we combined the state resources, state testing guide, and our own lesson plan to make this driving cheat sheet:
Pre-Driving
Visual inspection of vehicle
Check tire pressure
Adjust seat and headrest
Adjust mirrors
Adjust and fasten seat belt
Understand dash lights and indicators
Locate things necessary to operate vehicle (lights, turn signal, wipers, etc.)
Getting Started
Turn vehicle on
Change between park, drive, and reverse (with foot on brake)
Smoothly put vehicle into motion
Drive in a straight line, maintaining position
Stop smoothly with no jerk
Make right and left turns from a stop
Make right and left turns while in motion
Back up safely
Keep hands on wheel except when backing up
Uses mirrors correctly
Parking
Park in lot
Exit parking space
Parallel park
Turning
Turn from correct lane
Signal 100 feet before starting turn
Use hand-over-hand turning method
Make two-, three-, and five-point turns
Make u-turns
Intersections
Understand right-of-way at controlled and uncontrolled intersections
Stop fully at stop sign before crosswalk or stop line
Yield right-of-way to pedestrians
Follow traffic signs and lights
Changing Lanes
Signal and check blind spot before changing lanes
Know how to pass and be passed
Stay out of other drivers’ blind spots
Spatial Awareness
Understand where the vehicle is relative to other vehicles, people, and obstacles
Maintain space cushion
Use SEEiT system for space management
Expressway/Freeway Driving
Get on and off freeway/expressway
Maintain safe speed
Leave following distance
Be able to pass and change lanes on the freeway/expressway
Following the Law
Understand and follow all signs
Obey the speed limit
Never use phone while driving
Don’t drive under the influence
Drive defensively
Follow laws for driving with a learner permit
Stop/move for emergency vehicles
Special Skills
Night driving
City driving
Driving in congestion
Driving in inclement weather (including knowing when not to drive)
What to do if the car skids, malfunctions, or blows a tire
You can see at a glance all of the skills a driver needs to pass the driving test (and be a great driver!). Feel free to download this little fella and keep it in the car for your driving practice days.
Want even more resources? Check out our comprehensive PTDE guide. It has everything from calendars to lesson plans to tips for giving gentle feedback to your new driver. Good luck out there, friend! You’re that much closer to quitting your job as family chauffeur.