Beginner Drivers in Montana: First Things First

Fourteen plus years ago, I was blessed with my first biological child. It's super cliche, but yes, time really does fly, and my sweet Macy "MayDay" has grown up faster than I'd like. She's a great kid; respectful, helpful, kind, and gentle. And now she's learning how to drive.

Some parents dread their first time driving adventures with their kid. My wife is one of those people, so the responsibility lands on me. I enjoy the experience. Maybe because I remember how cool it was when my dad taught me how to drive so many years ago, with our old blue Ford truck, back on the north forty.

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Things to keep in mind before you get behind the wheel.

It is illegal in Montana to allow a teen to practice driving on public roadways unless they possess a Learner Permit. They can get a Learner Permit by being enrolled in a state-approved traffic education course, commonly referred to as Driver's Ed. Per the State of Montana:

Teens who are enrolled in or complete a state-approved traffic education course can get a learner permit at 14½.

I assume many parents take their kids out on the backroads and byways to practice, before said Learner Permit is in hand. Personally, I'm willing to take that chance. I find it hard to believe that a sheriff deputy would write a ticket if we got pulled over while driving the gravel backroads in middle-of-nowhere Montana, and if so, it would certainly be a "teaching moment." 🙄😂

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Driver Education courses are offered through Montana public schools at various times throughout the year. To see when the next classes are offered in your school district, CLICK HERE, and pick your school from the dropdown menu. Students can enroll if they are 14.5 years of age before the course completion date.

Learner Permit in hand, where do you go to practice driving?

I see the question pop up now and again on social media... parents wondering about good (safe-ish) spots to take their beginner driver to practice. Common spots may include:

• Large empty parking lots after hours (think MetraPark in Billings).
• Any gravel road 15 minutes outside of town.
• Quiter subdivisions with wide streets and minimal distractions.

For my Macy, we started with the very basics at Riverside Park in Laurel. After an hour or so of carefully starting, slowly accelerating, stopping (abruptly at times, ha!), and turning, she felt comfortable enough to practice on some roads.