Teen Drivers Anyone?

[ConchRepublic]

Not just teens that are bad... my mom is almost 60 and had about 4 crashes a year for the past 4 years, all but one her fault.


I'm 19, I've had my license for a year, only accident I've had is where I had someone install faulty brake pads on my Jeep. Slid right into the hitch of a big pick-up but no damage to his car and only a little dent in the bumper I was wanting to take off anyway.

 

[b.hromada]

Quote:
Agreed!!

My 19y/o son's driving is terrible!! He scares me to death! I know what you mean, believe me!! Heck, my husband's driving isn't much better!!

 

[Emzyyy]

I took driver's ed this summer. Helped alot. I hated it with a passion but it did help. Getting a old sturdy american made car or truck would help. Those things are built like tanks. I think my parents are a little more safe feeling with me driving because our city is one of the safest in our area for drivers. Not too many wrecks around our area. Driver's ed will also bring his insurance down.

 

[4-H chicken mom]

When my girls turned 16, they were only allowed to drive our vehicles to their jobs. That made them quickly save their own money and they bought their own cars. They had to pay for their own gas, insurance and cell phones. Kids tend to take care of things if they have to pay for them. Oh, they were unhappy with us and we constantly heard about how their friend's parents bought their kids their cars, paid their insurance and gave them gas money. I always said yes your right and look how many times they have wrecked their cars. What always got me was these parents turn right around and fix them only to have them wrecked again. But then maybe I shouldn't compain, my DH builds, repairs and paints vehicles and he has fixed a friend's car that their two kids have wrecked four times now and they keep paying him to fix it. I am so glad we stuck to our guns when we heard the constant complaining about how mean we were. Today our 25yr. old is a nurse and has bought her own house and thanks us for developing her work ethics. Our 20 yr. old is in her second year of college and is the proud owner of a 1968 Camaro that she bought when she was 14. It was a real mess and it took her four years of working to buy the parts that it needed to put it all together. Dad said he would give her free labor but she had to buy all the parts it needed and she had to help. It turned out to be a real beauty and she is really proud of it and she babies it because she doesn't want anything to happen to it because she knows she will have to pay for it again. I say again, make kids responsible and they will act responsively. Here is a pic of her car.

 

[chickaddict]

Nothing removes the fear

3 years ago when my boys were 18, 17 and 15 our little section of CT lost 8 teenagers to 3 separate accidents. One of the accidents that took 2 of those lives happened on the way home from the funeral for 2 siblings that were taken at an earlier accident.

That was over the course of 1 summer three years ago. I don't remember how many teenagers we lost over the whole state - just that the number was huge.

The following year all the rules changed.
All drivers under 18 are curfewed.
They are not allowed any passengers for the first 3 months, for the next 3 months family over the age of 18 only.
parents have to take a class.
There are mandatory classes for anyone under 18.

Those are just the five I remember, there are others.
There have been accidents since then but nothing like that summer. Do all the new rules ease my mind a bit????????????

Not a chance!!!!!!

Nothing removes the fear!!! They are your BABIES!!

 

[SillyChicken]

Ahh those were the days!

All the cars I had were hot rods (the green beasty, a 71 superbee charger, with big ol balonies on the back, was my fav). That didn't help with the speeding part, but I was always careful driving because I loved my cars.

There are GPS that you can put on cars to track where they've been, how fast they drove, how many stops they made, how long they sat in idle etc... you could look into that if you're concerned.

wanna talk about worry, my nephew, who is autistic, is driving on his own!

 

[texasgal]

Ugh .. teenage boys..

Ours was almost 18 before we let him get his regular license .. and then we made him get his own insurance AND car. We were all stupid (in his eyes) .. he knew everything. So he wrecks his car (the one that was paid for) .. bought another that day .. and wrecked it in about 2 weeks .. and hasn't had a car since.

No car, no job, and running out of friends to mooch from ...

Look up irresponsible in the dictionary .. picture of him.

Maybe by the time he's 40 he'll grow up ..

 

[chickensioux]

Trust. I have to have trust in my boys (17 & 20) that they are driving safely. We talk and talk about it. Now a days it's even harder than when I was this age with texting and cell phones. I drill it in that they are not to use their cells while driving. We live in the mountains and the roads here are curvy and trecherous. I worry about the OTHER guy more than my children making a mistake. I pray every night for their safe return from work, etc. It's very hard to be the parent of a driving teen.....

 

[heyeddah]

I guess that sums it up.
I was surprised by how many teenagers responded to this. There is a saying like my parents were so stupid when I was 16 now that I am 20 I am surprised at how much they learned in such a short time.
Yes, my son works and pays for his expenses. Took Drivers ed and has had all the restrictions in the State of Ct and parental in addition.The insurance company seems to think that being a good student has something to do with being a good driver.
I have a long road to go with three boys. Anyone else out there in the same placed, I feel for you too.

 

[ebwy]

here in the UK you have to be 17 to learn to drive. I didn't at that time (despite parental pressure) because I didn't think I had the maturity for being responsible for my life, the lives of any passengers, and the lives of everyone else on the roads.

If you don't think your children are mature enough, don't let them drive.