Next, he learned to drive a minivan, then a large truck.

It was all part of Alan Caho's plan to teach Steven to become a good driver, no matter what car he was driving.

"He needs to feel the pressure of the accelerator, the pressure of the brake," said Caho, who lives in Middletown. "Every vehicle is different."

Familiarity with vehicles was only part of Steven's driver's education.

Caho also took his son to empty parking lots and asked him to drive through different scenarios. He even threw things in front of the vehicle as Steven drove.

"Teach some reaction, that's not what they're getting," he said.

Caho said the main advice he would give other parents whose children are on the cusp of driving is to be involved.

"Even a small car is a 3,000-pound weapon," said Caho, who has spent more than 20 years working in various public safety roles. "Don't fudge on [riding time], if anything, ride more."

Jim Fraser, co-owner of Allegany Driving School, which offers classes throughout Frederick County, has had his share of scary moments as a driving instructor.

He says parents need to figure out whether their child is truly ready for the responsibility of driving. Age shouldn't be the only consideration.

"Every parent should ask themselves a simple question: ‘Is my child ready for this responsibility?'" Fraser said. "It is not a right of passage, it is a huge responsibility."

Up to age 18, teens must get parental consent to obtain a driver's license.

And parents can withdraw that permission at any time, Fraser said.

He recommends that parents ride along for a portion of the in-car training that his company offers in order to observe the strengths and weaknesses of their child.

He said driver's education is not intended to be a complete program, but instead a beginning.

"It's up to the parents to determine whether or not their child is ready for the responsibility," he said. "It's strictly to introduce the habits and skills that the parent is to polish."

Caho, whose son went through driver's training two years ago, shares the sentiment.

"They got him through what they had to, then [his mother] and I did the rest," he said.

Joe Widmyer, owner of Widmyer Driving School which has a Frederick location, said the biggest problem with drivers is inexperience.

The only way to fix this is lots of practice. Fraser said structured practice is a combination of freeway, city and rural driving.

Caho said he took every opportunity to have his son drive in different situations: snow, fog, heavy traffic — even a trip down Interstate 495 during rush hour on a visit to relatives.

"Do it," he told his son. "You're going to have to someday, so do it with me sitting next to you."

Fraser said parents should also go over emergency procedures with children: what to do when the engine fails, the brakes stop working, a tire blows or the wheels slip off the road.

Widmyer says even after teens earn their driver's license, parents should monitor their driving and point out techniques.

"They got their license, but they don't' know everything," he said.

Spending time with a new driver can be stressful, but is good bonding time, Caho said.

Sharon Voorhis of Walkersville has helped three sons through driver's education and her daughter will begin next year.

She said Saturday drives around Frederick County with her son, Andrew, last summer were a good opportunity for him to gain experience on the road and for her to chat with her son.

"I don't allow the radio on when they're learning so it's a good time to talk," she said.

Andrew, a sophomore at Walkersville High School, said driving golf carts at his part-time job helped a little, but cars were a whole new lesson for him.

"Cars have a lot more blind spots," he said. "And speed."

Fraser said many teens emulate their driving role models, often their parents.

"However Mom and Dad drive, that's how the new driver is going to behave," he said. "That's something for parents to think about."

The Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration offers a variety of online resources to parents and teens learning to drive. Among them is the downloadable Maryland Parent-Teen Driving Agreement.

Find this and more at www.rookiedriver.com

AAA, a nonprofit association of motor clubs, also provides a variety of resources online for parents of teen drivers, including brochures, tips, fact sheets and programs for young drivers.

Find this and more at www.aaaexchange.com

A learner's permit must be held for at least six months before the driver is eligible for a provisional license.

The learner's permit driver must complete a minimum of 60 hours of driving practice with someone at least age 21 who has held a driver's license for three years or more.

A minimum of 10 of the 60 practice driving hours must occur at night. The nighttime practice driving can occur 30 minutes before sunset, but no earlier, or 30 minutes after sunrise, no later, to qualify as nighttime practice driving.

Learner's permit holders younger than 18 may not use any wireless communication device, including a cell phone, while driving, except to make an emergency 911 call.