My daughter can't drive, HELP

[violetsky]

My 17 year old daughter just had her second accident. I followed her home
after the accident and she cut off another driver. She went through driver's education, and is
a straight A student taking classes like calculus and physics yet she is not
coming close to learning to drive. No instincts or common sense are clicking
in her brain. I saw that driving was not going to come easy and after driver's
ed I paid an instructor, $100 a lesson. He did not come back for the third lesson
and said he's never had a student like her and he has been in the business
over ten years. It's like she is an idiot savant, or maybe like Einstein getting lost
on campus. How am I going to send her off in the world without being able to
drive. Her younger daughter has her learner's permit and is already a safe good driver.
Has anyone dealt with this?

 

[krcote]

 

[redhen]

I wouldnt keep letting her drive then, until you feel more safe with it.
Other than more driving lessons, which costs too much money..
.. maybe she can only drive with you or another adult in the car, so you can guide her and give her tips and help her more aware of her surroundings??
But if it were myself, she wouldnt be doing anymore driving alone after 2 accidents and STILL cutting people off..not until she "gets it" a bit better..because she can not only kill herself, she can kill someone innocent also...

 

[Glenmar]

Yep. I would not let her drive. Maybe she is too distracted in her life right now.
Is she under alot of stress??

 

[dela1991]

I had the same problem with my twin sons. They are now 28 and are decent drivers but at 16 they were scary. Kinda the same thing as with your daughter. Very bright but you wonder what they are thinking. I wondered if their brains were just way ahead of their bodies. They both also had a terrible sense of direction. Didn't even know how to get to their school when they first drove themselves. I guess they never watched where the bus was going. And like your younger one, my youngest son could drive at 16 like he had been driving all of his life.

The terrible drivers are now Ivy educated lawyers and my youngest is a pizza maker. I don't know if there is a correlation.

I hope things get better for you as I know that it can be scary when they first go out on their own in the car.

 

[chickened]

Get her a bicycle.

 

[NovaAman]

OMG, that just reminded me of the movie Clueless... Some people just can not operate heavy machinery. Heck, Einstien couldn't even tie his shoes...

 

[sheaviance1]

I had the same problem.

Tell your daughter that she is driving a weapon of mass destruction. Putting it in terminology that her mind (which sounds brilliant) can relate to may help.

If she is anything like my children, she is working out the problems of her day while behind the wheel. Her mind never shuts off. She thinks of driving as one of those things that she can "go through the motions" and do well. Until she understands that driving is worth her time and attention, she will continue to be a danger on the road.

 

[Stacykins]

Hopefully you live in a place with available public transportation?

 

[Baymule]

Our daughter had 3.....4......??? wrecks and survived them all. I wish our vehicles had.

NO radio.
NO cell phone.
NO friends in car.
NO fast driving.

Some teenagers are just doofus. Their brains are short wired to screw up, not pay attention..............