Teen Driver - Learning to Drive and Orange Cones

[MMMommy]

This is a very random question, but DD1's driving instructor recommended purchasing orange traffic cones for certain driving exercises (figure eights, controlling speed, turns, parking, etc). Can anyone chime in on how many I would need? I see a set of five orange cones on Amazon and was leaning towards that. There is also a set of 10. They aren't cheap. I have no idea how many would be needed for this sort of thing.

Thanks for any advice!

[SnuggleBuggles]

Ask around first!
They aren’t needed though. Just find somewhere quiet to practice like a school or church parking lot. You’ll be able to do speed practices, turns...
5 would be more than enough. You would just maybe want them to learn parallel parking.
Look at sporting good stores if you fail through your friends. It is not an expense worth incurring though.


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[MMMommy]

Thanks SnuggleBuggles, will do!

[georgiegirl]

I don’t feel like they would be needed either. For technical work like parking and backing up and turns near curbs, we just go to an empty lot.


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[newnana]

Agree with Snugglebuggles.

The only thing I'd use those for are setting up an autocross track, and I need LOTS for that. Borrow if you must. Your local racing group will have hundreds they aren't using during the week: SCCA, NASA, any car specific club like BMW, Porsche, etc all have clubs

Empty parking lots. Usually cones are used for space relations. Understanding where the car is in relation to everything around it in a safe place. I also like ironing boards for new drivers as they are longer like other cars and higher so easier to see, and a cheap one is only $15 if you don't have one you don't mind getting knocked over. So many things to try in an empty lot:
Pull up alongside a curb and guess how far away you are. Get out, walk around the car, see how you did. Rinse, repeat Good for getting to know how close you are to things
Try to park in the lines in a parking spot. Get out, walk around the car, see how you did. Rinse, repeat
Back out of the parking lot as if you are in a full parking lot. Again, ironing board along each side of the car where another car would be helps with perspective.
Try backing into an empty parking spot. Get out, walk around the car, see how you did. Rinse, repeat
2 ironing boards parallel parking spot width apart perpendicular against the curb to represent 2 cars. Set up to full height so easier to see when practicing.
Another ironing board thing. Set one up on what would be the driver's side on a set path. Curb on what will be the passenger side of the car. Parent on the other side like drive through person (clear path to back up so only the ironing board could be destroyed). Pull up like you are getting fast food.
Pull up to the curb straight on and see how close you are. Same for backing in.
Understanding the brakes: Sidewalk chalk in rainbow colors: get a safe long stretch with loads of room. Go fast in that straight line and see by which 10 ft line increment you can stop at certain speeds. You should only ever go as fast as you can stop.
Love this blind spot chalk lesson: https://driversedguru.com/drivers-ed...-chalk-lesson/


Anybody remember the old Brady Bunch episode where the oldest 2 were competing in driving skills? I vaguely remember an egg on top of a cone at the end of the course. Pull up as close as you can without knocking it off.

Hope any of that is useful!

[doberbrat]

My uncle used 2 trash cans w/my nephews.

[StantonHyde]

I just got 2 to practice parallel parking. Otherwise lots of parking lot time

[NCGrandma]

DGD1 will be taking online drivers ed this summer, followed by actually learning to drive. There are several nearby parking lots that would be great for some types of practice, but most of these are school lots and — at least up to now — they have been off limits and police have been running people off. Guess she will have to wait to see what happens.


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[bisous]

Do they have to be the big orange cones? My Dad taught my kids to ride their bikes using much smaller cones and making obstacle courses. They were very cheap. I think he picked them up at Target?

[MaiseyDog]

My dad used 2 sawhorses when he was teaching me to drive. Look around the house, you probably have stuff you can use easily without spending the money.