Teen Son Soon To Be Driving!

[Sharon]

Be prepared for your insurance costs to double.

[zibazinski]

There is THAT aspect, of course. Also, no upgrades to anything until he has been a licensed driver for at least a year and NO passengers. Loud music as well as other stuff is a distraction as well. Make firm your rules about texting and talking on the cell and check it. If he has talked or texted while driving, ground him off the car. If you can afford it, I highly recommend a defensive driving course.

[Deleted]

You need to tie the sound system upgrade to safe driving for X months (no tickets, no accidents) -- they need incentive to really pay attention to the fact that they are flying 4,000 pounds over the roads.

Cheapest way to have sound system improved - have an expert do it. If you or your son & his friends try to do it, they can create electrical problems. I was quite pleasantly surprised to find that a moderate sound system + Installation was very reasonable. They run the wires, cut needed holes etc. Car Toys ran the place I used to go out of business, so I can't tell you where to go, just that it is a lot less headache to have professionals do it.

[Deleted]

Oct 23, 2011 9:12:20 GMT -5 @lonewolf said:

Install a GPS, so you know where he is.

That is hilarious. How cool would it be to 'give' your kid an iTouch or iPhone for a gift, but your ulterior motive is to track their whereabouts. Anything uber-cool that is marketed to teens should include the GPS locator feature!!!

[973beachbum]

My DD turned 16 in Sept. Technically she could have gotten her permit then. I told her she can't get her permit till after she takes the School drivers ed plus the behind the wheel. Then she can get her permit and and drive with us till she is 17. The laws allow her to get it after 6 months on the permit but I see no reason for a 16 year old to have a license so I said no till 17. My ins rates already went up when she turned 15. I can't imagine what they will do when she actually gets her license.

I think I should warn the neighbors or something when she gets her permit.

[mizbear]

PLEASE don't let him have that sound system yet! And make sure he has good sunglasses.

I lost a cousin at 16 to a car accident because he was fiddling with the radio and missed a turn- it was his first night out driving by himself.
2 weeks ago another cousin got the sun in her eyes (she had been drving for a week), crossed the center line and hit a car head on. She lived, but is now terrified to drive. The cop said the sun was so bad he had trouble seeing at the accident scene.

I didn't start driving until I almost 21. I could walk everywhere I wanted/needed to go.

[MittenKitten]

The next town over has all the shops I go to. But man when the highschool lets out it is a NIGHTMARE to get out of. They don't have any common sense and do the dumbest things. Saw a couple of them after they had crashed and I am still wondering WHY the police in that town don't patrol the area when HS lets out. (Of course that is unless they get an emergency they need to attend to)

Snerd: Set down the rules of driving. Make sure he gets lots of practice before allowing him to drive with friends. My mom was terrible to drive with so I basically learned after I got my license on my own. I would also limit driving at night if you can until he gets good at the daytime driving.

[mizbear]

Here it is illegal to txt while driving or talk on a cell phone without a hands free device, but I would say lonewolf may be on to something.

[Malarky]

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You need to tie the sound system upgrade to safe driving for X months (no tickets, no accidents) -- they need incentive to really pay attention to the fact that they are flying 4,000 pounds over the roads.

I was going to post something similar. I know of teens who've admitted to blocking emergency vehicles because they can't hear the sirens over the music. That volume of music just isn't necessary, no matter how cool it may seem.

I also believe in rewarding good behavior. If it's really important to him I would allow it down the road, when he becomes a more experienced driver. It doesn't seem like a good starting place, however.

[bluecluessubtlety]

I don't think h.s.ers should drive. Period.

But if you're going to let him, I would completely disconnect the radio. And no passengers. And no phone that works while the car is in motion.

[mizbear]

Not all high schoolers drive like idiots. They're just the ones we hear about.

[murphath]

If I had to do it all over again, I would not let DSs drive alone before they were 18. Both seemed to be good drivers but that urge to be "cool" is very powerful once they're alone. They can't drive with anyone in the car (against the law here) unless a sibling but still, that "cool" thing rears its ugly head! Both (1 foster son; 1 biological son) wrecked a car within 1 month of our allowing them to drive solo. Both, therefore, had to save up to purchase their own "beater" and to pay the difference in the car insurance premium. Took them some time to do so and we practiced many more hours in parking lots, etc.. On the other hand, both daughters never had so much as a warning ticket. Guess they didn't care if they looked "cool"! ;D

[reeneejune]

I think the maturity level of the kid plays into this question a lot too. I have a couple of cousins (19,16, and 14), the older two are the most responsible young drivers you could ever care to come across. They're all farm kids, and have been driving tractors, 4-wheelers, and farm equipment since about the age of 10 (in fields of course). There's something about learning to drive in a big, slow, hard-to-manuver vehicle that makes a person cautious. The jury is still out on the younger one... he's always been the family clown

Does it work for every kid? No. But it's working great for these kids.

[Peace77]

A cell phone would be good to have in case the car breaks down or there is some kind of problem.
However, it should be required to be kept in the trunk.

A new driver should be required to pay for any upgrades in the sound system after a year of safe driving. He should also have to contribute towards the cost of the insurance.

[misplacedbrit]

My son got his license in March - at 19, because with ADD he has/had the attention span of a gnat!

My insurance is horrendous, possibly because he's in a SUV (not sure on an Explorer)

And thats before it goes up after the accident he just had - seriously, do they not make kids understand about yielding to oncoming traffic on green?

I'm sending mine to any traffic school I can find, the driving test here doesn't teach them what they need.

[meli_beach]

My DD turns 16 in a couple of weeks, she won't be able to get her "real license" until March though as she has to have her permit for 1full year first and she procrastinated getting that. I was surprised our school district offered a FREE 2wk driving course over the summer, all driving as they all had to have their permit already. My only problem with it was she drove a huge FORD F250 during the course so now she's more comfortable in a bigger vehicle, yet wants a VW Bug go figure. But I'm glad they offered it as it really did help her alot with her road skills.
Snerd I'm with you I imagine that we will pay her insurance and get the car for her to begin with, she'll have to do more work around the house for gas money, but I don't think I want her working during the school year. She's taking 2 AP courses and an extra on-line course, plus she's on the weightlifting team and does karate. There just aren't enough hours in the day for all of it and I'd rather her do well in her classes then worry about insurance money at the ripe old age of 16.

[bean29]

I always felt my kid driving was more of a convenience for me than it is for him. If he did not drive I would have to pick him up everyday after wresting practice and I would be driving DD to school everyday b/c she would miss the bus.

Snerd, our school's driver's ed is more expensive than the local driving schools. You just set your kid up at a driving school when it is time and they pick them up for their on-the road right at your house.

The School program was durign summer session and I would have to get my son to and from the HS mid day - I work so the private course would have been it for us even if it was not less expensive.

In WI the first so many months a teenager has a liscense they can not have any other kids in the car. They can have siblings in the car though. DS regularly gives other kids in the neighborhood a ride. The rules are good/bad. DH is 18 now and has been driving for 2 years. I still worry.

[naggie1972]

Surprisingly the boy is good, it's the girl I worry about. Mine went from I think 300 every 6 months
to 1600 every six months when both kids were on it finally.

[lynnerself]

My insurance agent says girls (women) have more, but smaller accidents - fender benders. Boys have fewer, but more serious ones - major crashes.

[gavinsnana]

Good Luck.. been there done that.. , Nervous nights, worries and a whole lot of prayers!