by goodnatured » Sat Jan 05, 2008 05:48 pm
Is age the only factor that you should take into consideration when you deciding if your teenager should drive or not, I don't think so.
Driving is a privilege not a right, along with this privilege comes responsibility so here are some things to consider when deciding if your teenage is old enough to get a drivers license or permit.
1. How mature is your teen? Some are more mature than others and you as a parent are held responsible, they go on your insurance for the first few years of driving.
2. Do they attend school regularly? Attendance in school should be one of your signs of what your teen is up too. Employers will even use school attendance of a hiring factor so this may be something that the insurance company will look at too. Vehicle insurance for teens is neither easy for the parents nor for the carrier.
3. Are they responsible with other things that they own, if they don't take care of their own items, they are not going to care about your insurance or vehicle, they are not going to care about other fellow drivers either.
Insurance rates go through the roof when you add a young driver, it is there prior actions not what they promise that will show you if they are ready to drive or not. You are the ultimate judge of this. Some parents listen to a child as soon as they turn 16 and take them to get their permit, I think it should go more on the maturity of the child, not the age.
After they get a driver's permit, make sure they follow the rules of the permit, don't allow them to take the short cuts, if it says they need so many hours of driving, then make them follow it. Don't let them drive at night, if the permit says they are not supposed to. Set your own rules in addition to what the state laws, no more than one friend in the car with them. No speeding, No cell phone use while driving. What may be common sense to us may not be for teens. And of course the big one, No drinking and driving, it is devastating to see a young person die as a result of something that could have been avoided.
Go for a ride with your teen every now and then, see for yourself how they are doing behind the wheel, don't get in the habit of letting your teen have the keys anytime they want.
This is a very important time in a teens life and they will want their drivers license as soon as they turn of age. It is up to you to figure out if your kid is ready or not. There are plenty of posts on this forum about young people and accidents. What are you thoughts?
Driving is a privilege not a right, along with this privilege comes responsibility so here are some things to consider when deciding if your teenage is old enough to get a drivers license or permit.
1. How mature is your teen? Some are more mature than others and you as a parent are held responsible, they go on your insurance for the first few years of driving.
2. Do they attend school regularly? Attendance in school should be one of your signs of what your teen is up too. Employers will even use school attendance of a hiring factor so this may be something that the insurance company will look at too. Vehicle insurance for teens is neither easy for the parents nor for the carrier.
3. Are they responsible with other things that they own, if they don't take care of their own items, they are not going to care about your insurance or vehicle, they are not going to care about other fellow drivers either.
Insurance rates go through the roof when you add a young driver, it is there prior actions not what they promise that will show you if they are ready to drive or not. You are the ultimate judge of this. Some parents listen to a child as soon as they turn 16 and take them to get their permit, I think it should go more on the maturity of the child, not the age.
After they get a driver's permit, make sure they follow the rules of the permit, don't allow them to take the short cuts, if it says they need so many hours of driving, then make them follow it. Don't let them drive at night, if the permit says they are not supposed to. Set your own rules in addition to what the state laws, no more than one friend in the car with them. No speeding, No cell phone use while driving. What may be common sense to us may not be for teens. And of course the big one, No drinking and driving, it is devastating to see a young person die as a result of something that could have been avoided.
Go for a ride with your teen every now and then, see for yourself how they are doing behind the wheel, don't get in the habit of letting your teen have the keys anytime they want.
This is a very important time in a teens life and they will want their drivers license as soon as they turn of age. It is up to you to figure out if your kid is ready or not. There are plenty of posts on this forum about young people and accidents. What are you thoughts?
Posted: Sat Jan 05, 2008 06:05 pm Post Subject:
Hi goodnatured,
First of all, I thought you said you didn't have time to blog. You just did.
This post is fantastic and you are absolutely right. I see teenagers, still in high school, driving 2008 vehicles. What a shame. What do these kids have to look forward to, as far as vehicles?
Teenagers are usually still kids, just older ones. They should be taught respect and responsibility. If they are not taught these traits, they will certainly not show them on the road.
Auto insurance for teens could just make them realize for a minute that they set their own auto insurance rates. When they speed - it costs them! When they have an accident - it costs them! When they hurt someone else in their vehicle - it costs them! When they damage someone else's property - it costs them!
Parents need to understand that the insurance company is not punishing them because their son or daughter is young, but because most of them are irresponsible.
Some are responsible and Cudos to them!
Thanks for the post.
Posted: Sat Jan 05, 2008 08:23 pm Post Subject:
thanks insurance maze, I had a blog on the debt forum once, I have not kept up with it, I find it easier just to come to the forums and post information as I think of it, LOL. That way there is not something there that needs maintenance, LOL. May be it is just laziness on my part. I had a lot going on with the debt forum at the time too at the time, thankfully I have taken care of a lot of those issues, I am only good at it when I am interested in it, false test ADHD, LOL.
No really, I see young kids driving the new vehicles too, what is up with that? Are mom and dad crazy or just rich?
Posted: Sat Jan 05, 2008 08:23 pm Post Subject:
Teenage drivers and auto insurance for teens seem to be real popular issues. Several things can help keep the rates down maintaining good grades, good attendance, and the on the road drivers education(not just the classroom drivers education). Some insurance companies in certain areas are also giving discounts for having monitoring systems installed which will videotape the driver and monitor the cars acceleration and deceleration and give the parent reports for when the child is driving irresponsibly, either braking to hard or accelerating to fast and will show you the video so you can yell I mean discuss with your child(why were you talking on the cell phone?, what was that boy doing in the car?). Just a couple of additional ideas.
Posted: Sat Jan 05, 2008 08:31 pm Post Subject:
What is up with the new vehicles? I remember my brother and sister started driving with an old beatup vw bug, I got to move up and drove an old beat up mercury lynx. Most of my buddies all started with old beaters, I remember a good deal of a vw rabbit a friend had. I mean if you are concerned about the premiums you want an older vehicle not a newer one that they will wreck within three months(a buddy rolled his brand new jeep within three weeks of getting it for his sixteenth birthday).
Just the other day on the news I saw a clip about a sixteen year old that drove a brand new Tahoe through someones living room.
Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2008 12:56 am Post Subject:
These kids today have class, lol, I think more parents are more trustworthy and they can also afford the newer vehicles, In my family only my dad worked but today in many cases both adults in the household work. They can afford the newer vehicles and apparently the auto insurance for teens to go along with the teen driving the newer vehicle. I would not do it even if I could afford it, I don't think you should put the keys of a newer vehicle in anyone's hands unless they are on the payment book.
Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2008 04:10 am Post Subject:
I would not let a child drive a new vehicle unless I was in it with them, LOL erb, name has to be on the payment book huh, that is a good idea too, that means only I would be driving it or the husband. LOL.
Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2008 11:53 am Post Subject:
I see teenagers, still in high school, driving 2008 vehicles. What a shame. What do these kids have to look forward to, as far as vehicles?
This just burns me up for some reason! I swear even IF we could have afforded this I wouldn't have done it....I know some parents that are MAKING PAYMENTS on new vehicles for their kids! Now how stupid can you be? First of all they are gonna tear it up...no question....and second if these parents (well technically "parents" I think they are more interested in being their kids 'friends' than their parent, but that's a different rant i could go on)....where was i ? oh, These parents are actually doing a HUGE injustice to their kids! What since of accomplishment, or success do they have? They haven't ''earned'' crap....and as ins maze said, what do they have to look forward to? I've seen these little brats, throw fits at the body shop when the car is wrecked about how fast it will get back...mom and dad cave, and let junior driver their car while they pay for a rental for themselves...course mom and dad pay the deductible too.......just really pisses me off! ok, i'm done...........for now :roll:Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2008 04:37 pm Post Subject:
The last time my kids throw a fit about wanting something or want to do something I said fine took everyone home and didn't let them do what they wanted or get what they wanted. After the second time they stopped throwing fits with me around, it apparently still works with my ex but not me. I'm just the mean daddy but they learned at least with me that they can't get everything they want or do everything they want. Oh I may still get it for them but they have to earn it first. Its like legos I have built up a fairly large collection and just leave it at my mom's house(its where I tend to have my children most of the time). Anyways I was at the house and bored and wasn't getting my kids for a couple of days(I live out of state) so I went and built all of the lego kits I had and a few just from the pictures(talk about difficult) about 50-60 sets. I had my kids a whole three hours was in one room with my daughter and my son was playing with the legos in the other. After a little while my son comes in and ask me if I can rebuild a specific thing for him cause it broke, went back in the other room and most of the sets were demolished. A rebuilt a few but he jsut turned right around and broke those so I told him he can rebuild them. Then he threw a fit. I told him if hes just going to break them he can build them.
Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 10:57 am Post Subject:
I was always considered one of those , 'strict or mean' moms to some degree....fine by me..always figured if my kids didn't ''hate'' me once or twice while raising them i didn't do a good job..(NEVER would they have said it to me however!)....
good for you avengerki, still requiring good behavior when you don't see you kids that often...that has to be very very hard to do! but you know what's best for the children rather than what you want! (to be the ''good parent'' that gives gives gives, since your time is limited)....I really admire that, too many times in divorce the non-custodial parent, either on purpose or just because it's human nature...take on the ''yes'' parent attitude, leaving the custodial parent the 'bad' guy all the time...cudos! one day your children will appreciate your methods....and certainly respect you for it...
Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 04:52 pm Post Subject:
Yes it is difficult being the mean parent. They still love me though :). I am still trying to get my parents to follow my wishes, my dad is soso about it and my mom tend to differ to me. My son also gets upset because I will set a time limit on using the game systems. But I also have them read for at least a half hour, if they don't want to read they have to sit there while I or the other child reads out loud. They do enjoy the reading. Also spending time outside(more to give my parents a break from the general madness, but also to enjoy the fresh air.) Even though they are old enough I still will kinda follow them mostly with a camera so that it doesn't seem like I am not trusting them to be safe but to capture the moment, it really helps that my kids love getting their picture taken, unlike my brothers children who avoid the camera like the plague(as does my brother and his wife so I know where the example comes from). I'm also a meanie because I will put vegetables on their plate they don't like and make them eat them, tends to be a very small amount maybe a fork full or two more or less just to get them to eat them and try them since some vegetables just plain taste better prepared in different fashions and actually seems to work as they have found some vegetables they said they didn't like that they like prepared certain ways.
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