At 16, teens become very willing to drive a car. In most states, that's the legal driving age. So on a teen's sixteenth birthday, you can expect that he or she will be asking for a car from his parent. Well, what's good a car if you don't know how to drive it? So a good suggestion would be to learn how to drive even before you reach sixteen. Learning how to drive is different from actually driving a car itself. The point is to start learning how a car is driven even if you're not in the driver's seat. Here's what you can do:

1. Observe.

How many times have you ridden on a car's front seat? Countless of times, for sure. So, why not observe the driver how he maneuvers the car and work with the controls? You can also ask him why he's pushing those buttons and why he keeps shifting gears. This way, you will have a good idea how drivers do it and what each car control is for.

2. Read how-to books.

Not all teens love reading books. But then again, if you really want to be a good driver at 16, you better start early. Reading a simple "Learn How to Drive" book will help you in your quest. So at the time you reach 16 and enroll in formal driving lessons, you can easily understand what your driving instructor is telling you and apply them the right way. It will save you time and money too.

3. Ask your dad for driving lessons.

You might be too young. But surely, you can drive around the parkway to your house. Why not ask your father to teach you how to park the car on the garage? It maybe a short ride but it would be the perfect opportunity to know how it really feels to control a car.

4. Enroll at driving schools.

This last tip is only applicable if you're already 16. Most driving schools take on the task of applying for the license of their students themselves. Driving is a good opportunity to show others that you can formally drive a car and do it safely. This is your last step on learning how to become a driver. With adequate practice and knowledge of the traffic laws, you should be eligible to officially become part of the driving populace.

Learn how to drive defensively and effectively with these four easy steps. However, you have to remember that driving a car is a big responsibility. It is not something you can use to become popular among your friends and classmates. Once you are given a driver's license, you have an added social responsibility. You have to be a very careful driver when on the streets.

And once you know how to drive, you can easily pick out the car that best fits you. Teens are advised not to get a sports car, though. Sedans and other easy cars are more preferable. It's because even if you already have a driver's license, you are that well-experienced on the road just yet ? much more with hard-to-control cars.