Scary thoughts....children with driver's licenses

[Joe Bob]

So.....my Twins....I love them to death but they aren't the most co-ordinated in the world....have a driver's license. My brother's kid, went with them on a drive and came out shaking his head.....and he's on medical MJ for ADD.....another story and none of my bidness....

Back when I had a life, married, job, house, and responsibilities...."we" agreed that they would wait until they were 18 to get a DL.

Obviously, that went down the crapper.....they are 17 and Juniors in HS.

Anyways.....I'm now on the hook for the insurance. Fortunately.....god there 's a brite side?

The bend over, this won't hurt much insurance company..."we're here to help".....only charges one rate for underage/dependent children, no matter how many y'all gots.

Ooooiiiphhhfuchmekillmenow.....so I sent them my Yukon XL. If'n they get in an accident, they will most likely win. I'm just driving the cab now....

Wish me luck.

[crustychief]

I have a 19 YO and a 16 YO both with permits. My doctor is worried about my cholesterol, I am not.

[Oh Haha]

ouch

Do you have graduated licenses there? We do in Michigan. I'm NOT looking forward to the days when my 2 want to drive.


Good luck, JoeBob.

[plumb4u2]

my twins just turned 4 so i have time left....i think by the time they can drive the drivin age will probably be 18

[Mark Henry]

My 12 and 10 year old know the rules of the road, ride their bikes 10-25kms 3-4 times a week, drive the ATV, dirtbike, skidoo, lawn tractor, field car....typical country kids.

Hopefully they will be ready when it comes to driving on the roads.

[azasadny]

Our 16 year old daughter just got her permit and we're taking her driving as much as we can. Very scary....

[pwd72s]

Wishing you luck...good choice on the Yukon. However, be ready for it to get trashed.

[mossguy]

Art,
From your posts, it appears that Becky is a very level-headed and responsible young lady who has the appropriate motor skills. But you still have concerns about the other drivers with whom she will share the road. Stay cool, my friend!

[masraum]

Mine are now 26 and 27. I'm so glad that the worst of all of that teenage crap is done. Holy carp, that driving stuff is just about enough to kill anyone.

All I can do is say "good luck".

[masraum]

Originally Posted by pwd72s

Wishing you luck...good choice on the Yukon. However, be ready for it to get trashed.

Actually, you should just write it off now.

First cars should always be disposable. Not every kid will destroy a car in their first 3 years, but most will turn a car into something that's not worth much at best.

[pwd72s]

Be grateful that you are far away...

[Tervuren]

Originally Posted by masraum

Actually, you should just write it off now.

First cars should always be disposable. Not every kid will destroy a car in their first 3 years, but most will turn a car into something that's not worth much at best.

+1, my first car was rear ended and totaled before I made it to year two. Pickup truck in front of me stopped for a left turn, I stopped, young 19 YO behind me speeding in a big pick up was not paying attention, crushed the whole rear of my 944 in. Remarkable his bumper hit well below the hatch as he was on the brakes, the hatch stayed intact. Not so the rest of the car, the rear wheel wells and wheels were trying to occupy the same space, the sun roof got knocked open as the whole car shortened.

It was pretty scary from my perspective, I was sitting still, looking at the oncoming traffic to see when a opening was going to come, when all of a sudden I was driving into the truck in front of me despite putting my foot deeper on the brake. When I heard my tires locking up I released to get a little more traction, even though I had stopped with a decent distance to the lifted truck in front of me, I still ended up underneath his truck and got a small dent on just in front of the hood.

I practice at a track that rents a fleet of karts to the general public, the average Joe and Jane are such terrible drivers on a track, I'm amazed safety is as high as it is in the USA.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Deal was I had to provide and pay for my own insurance right from Day #1. I suggest the same for all parents of newly-minted drivers. It puts the real cost of things in perspective immediately, encourages responsibility and is a very good primer for transitioning from kid to adult with real responsibilities. YMMV. Best of luck.

[Tervuren]

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

Deal was I had to provide and pay for my own insurance right from Day #1. I suggest the same for all parents of newly-minted drivers. It puts the real cost of things in perspective immediately, encourages responsibility and is a very good primer for transitioning from kid to adult with real responsibilities. YMMV. Best of luck.

Same here, I also bought the car and paid for it, and whatever broke on it. Insurance had me scraping pennies until it became cheaper, also my ability to earn money improved to.

This should be the way it is with ALL the males, females aren't quite the same, maybe some exceptions. Skin in the game improves responsibility. Any further comment from me on that subject belongs in PARF.

[Normy]

I think it varies tremendously with the kid. I knew how to drive my parents car when I was 10, not that I ever did or was even allowed to try. But my dad did sit me down one day in the drivers seat of his Ford LTD and told me that in an extreme emergency....this is what to do. I told him I knew that already. I told him it would scare me, and I remember thinking that driving a car must be a very difficult thing to do. When I was 15 and my dad handed me the keys to the chevette when we were going to fly model airplanes at the club field, I was surprised to find out that driving that car was no more difficult than driving the riding lawn mower around the yard.

Of course, I have good eyes and good eye-hand coordination. I flew radio control model planes at 13, drove at 16, flew Cessna 172's at 19, taught people to fly at 23, was a Boeing 727 captain at 33, and a Boeing 747 captain at 39.

On the other hand...my brother has destroyed most of the cars that he's owned, along with a riding lawnmower [that's....hmm, a long story-!], and when he was a kid he was CONSTANTLY scraped up from falls from his bicycle and skateboard. To this day he lives with my parents [age 39....] who've bought him every single car he's ever owned, and drives like an idiot, his middle finger extended to approximately half the drivers he runs off the road~

You know....it just depends on the kid. Giving a kid a car at 16 isn't a good idea. Getting him/her a drivers license, and letting them practice driving with you in the car is a GOOD idea. That seasons them and lets you know just what their driving skills are like.

N

[Mark Howard]

Mine got her permit in february. Driving the Passat that I will soon will to her. I must say she is doing great. Very cautious, watches for other drivers, very good defensively. I'm working on her offensive game. Seriously, sometimes the accelerator is just as important as the brakes. She needs some giddy up every now and then. Overall I'm a proud pop.

[Jrboulder]

Then I guess being 17 with a Pilots licence and a Porsche with no airbags must have really scared the schit out of my parents.

Jackson

[Don Plumley]

You might be better off, and they might be better drivers, if they get their license during the provisional period rather than wait to 18 without the restrictions - no pax, limited hours, etc.

[aways]

It's criminal to turn kids at 16 loose with a car. The average 16 yr-old has no concept of their own mortality, let alone the responsibility to care about anyone else's. We require an age of 21 to have a beer, but only 16 to wield a 2000+ piece of machinery capable of causing mass casualties. Crazy.

[RWebb]

some farm kids have pretty good levels of responsibility