Learning to drive in Tallahassee can be a little intimidating. We have everything from quiet neighborhood streets to six-lane roads, roundabouts, canopy roads, college traffic and drivers who seem to discover their turn approximately three seconds before they need to make it.

Fortunately, there are also plenty of places around town where new drivers can practice before tackling North Monroe, Tennessee Street or I-10.

Whether you’re teaching a teenager to drive or learning as an adult, here are some of the best places in Tallahassee to start.

Governor’s Square Mall Parking Lot

For many Tallahassee residents, a mall parking lot was practically driver’s ed.

The quieter sections of the Governor’s Square Mall parking lot give a new driver plenty of room to get a feel for the car without immediately worrying about regular traffic.

Start with the basics: smooth acceleration and braking, wide and tight turns, backing up and figuring out exactly where the corners of the car are. Once they’re comfortable, use the parking spaces to practice pulling in, backing in and parking between the lines.

Best for: First-time drivers, braking, turning, backing up and parking.

When to go: Early mornings or other times when the lot is relatively empty. Avoid busy shopping periods.

SouthWood State Office Complexes

SouthWood is one of my favorite areas for moving a new driver beyond the giant-empty-parking-lot stage.

The state office complexes have large parking areas that can be very quiet outside normal business hours. Once the driver is comfortable in the lot, the surrounding streets offer opportunities to practice stop signs, turns, lane positioning and eventually roundabouts.

That means you don’t have to jump directly from driving circles around a parking lot to Apalachee Parkway.

Best for: Parking, stop signs, turns, lane positioning and beginner roundabout practice.

When to go: Weekends or after office hours. Avoid lots that are gated, posted or being used for an event.

John Knox Road Office Parks

The office complexes along John Knox Road, particularly around the area across from Trousdell Aquatics Center, can be another good weekend practice spot.

The advantage here is that you’re not limited to one giant rectangle of pavement. You’ll find parking spaces, smaller connecting roads, intersections, stop signs and plenty of places to practice turning.

It feels more like driving on an actual street while still being considerably calmer than the major roads nearby.

Best for: Drivers who have mastered the basics and are ready to practice real traffic rules.

And once they’re experienced, John Knox gives you access to another very Tallahassee driving lesson: cross North Monroe onto Monticello Drive and introduce them to THE DIP.

Maybe don’t do that on Day 1.

Tallahassee State College

Tallahassee State College can provide a nice mix of parking lots and internal campus roads when school isn’t busy.

A new driver can practice parking and maneuvering before progressing to stop signs, intersections and driving from one section of campus to another.

Just pay attention to campus rules, parking restrictions and pedestrian traffic.

Best for: Parking, intersections, stop signs and transitioning from parking-lot practice to actual roads.

Innovation Park

Innovation Park is an excellent next step once someone is comfortable operating the car.

On quieter evenings and weekends, the area offers real streets without the constant traffic and distractions you’ll find on Tallahassee’s main commercial roads.

This is a good place to work on maintaining a steady speed, staying centered in the lane, making proper stops and checking mirrors without the new driver feeling like 14 cars are waiting impatiently behind them.

Best for: First real-road driving experience.

Tom Brown Park

Tom Brown Park has multiple parking areas and internal roads, so you can practice several skills in one trip.

A beginner can start in a quiet section of a parking lot and then practice driving slowly around the park as their confidence improves.

The catch is pedestrians. There can be runners, cyclists, kids, dogs and cars moving throughout the park. That’s valuable experience once your driver has basic control of the vehicle, but I’d avoid busy sports and event times with a brand-new driver.

Best for: Slow-speed driving, parking, backing and learning to watch for pedestrians.

James Messer Sports Complex

The James Messer Sports Complex on Jackson Bluff Road has large paved parking areas that can be useful when they’re open and not being used for games or events.

All that open pavement gives a beginner room to practice turns, parking and backing without immediately putting them into traffic.

Best for: First lessons, parking and maneuvering.

Check what’s happening at the complex before you go.

Gene Cox Stadium and North Florida Fairgrounds

Another Tallahassee area with lots of pavement is around Gene Cox Stadium and the North Florida Fairgrounds.

When accessible and not being used for an event, the large parking areas can give a learner plenty of room to practice basic vehicle control.

Don’t assume an empty parking lot automatically means it’s open for driving practice, though. Check gates and signs, and leave if the property isn’t open to the public.

Best for: Basic vehicle control and parking.

Your Own Neighborhood May Actually Be Best

Once the driver understands the pedals and can reliably stop and steer, you don’t necessarily need to drive across town looking for the perfect practice area.

A quiet residential neighborhood can be one of the best classrooms.

Neighborhood driving introduces things an empty parking lot can’t: stop signs, driveways, parked vehicles, trash cans, pedestrians, cyclists and cars approaching from the opposite direction.

Start during a quiet time of day and gradually make the route more challenging.

Don’t Stay in the Parking Lot Too Long

Parking lots are fantastic for learning how to operate a car, but they don’t really teach someone how to drive.

Once your new driver can confidently accelerate, brake, turn, park and back up, start introducing real roads a little at a time.

A good Tallahassee progression is:

Empty parking lot → quiet office park → residential neighborhood → two-lane road → traffic lights → roundabout → four-lane road → busy commercial road → Capital Circle → I-10

And somewhere in there, once they’re ready, take them down Monticello Drive across from John Knox Road.

If you learned to drive in Tallahassee, you probably know exactly why.

Tallahassee Roads to Save for Later

There are a few places I’d specifically avoid during those first driving lessons.

Thomasville Road around I-10, Tennessee Street near FSU, North Monroe, Apalachee Parkway and busy sections of Capital Circle require a new driver to process a lot of information very quickly.

Our canopy roads present a different challenge. Roads such as Meridian, Miccosukee and Centerville can be narrow, curvy and less forgiving when a beginner drifts toward the edge of the pavement.

Then there’s I-10.

They absolutely need to learn how to merge and drive on the interstate eventually, but there’s no reason to make a nervous new driver’s third lesson an entrance ramp onto I-10 at rush hour.

Build the skills gradually. Tallahassee has plenty of places to practice before you throw them into the deep end.

One Last Tip for Tallahassee Parents

Don’t only practice on beautiful, sunny Sunday mornings.

Once your driver is comfortable, they also need supervised experience driving at night, in rain and in heavier traffic.

Florida’s afternoon downpours can dramatically reduce visibility, and learning how to react to heavy rain is an important part of learning to drive here.

Just don’t make their first rain lesson one of those Tallahassee thunderstorms where you can’t see the car 20 feet in front of you.

There’s learning to drive — and then there’s learning to survive Florida.