Baby You Can Drive My Car

Well, only if you follow my rules and the State laws, and even that might not be good enough to keep you safe.  The comments to a letter written via Planetfeedback to AAA Minnesota/Iowa, reminded me of all the reasons I have not taken my son for his driving permit.  He turned 16 back in September, but I have been putting it off despite the constant reminders and peer pressure.  I feel confident that he will  be a safe driver, but that's not my primary concern.  It's all the other drivers on the road I'm worried about.  Considering teen drivers have the highest fatal crash risk of any age group, deciding when to let your teenager behind the wheel could very well be the most important decision you ever make.

There are things you can do to prepare for this milestone, and some of them are just pure common sense.      

It's never too soon to start Preparing Your Teen to Drive and to set a good example.  I never realized how closely my daughter was paying attention to my driving until I noticed that she picked up on some of my habits. I now try to be on my best behavior when my son is in the car because he notices everything and is quick to correct me.  I always wear my seatbelt, I never eat or drink, and I never use a phone or fiddle with the radio.  He knows I expect the same of him. 
I think the thing that worries me the most is the temptation to drive with friends in the car.  He's fully aware of the restrictions by law, but I'm afraid that will be the hardest rule to follow.  Trust will play a major role in this ordeal, and I'm hoping he won't let me down.

I have been agonizing over this decision for a long time, and at this point I'm probably just putting off the inevitable.  With Spring approaching, I'm starting to think it would be a good time to practice driving.  Although Summer is a good time, too, and maybe I should wait until then.  Actually, Autumn is a wonderful month.  I could put it off until the leaves start turning...

Maybe this should be an ongoing topic.  I'll keep you posted with a description of the process, the progress and results.  In the meantime, I must come up with enough courage to get the ball rolling... or should I say wheels?

~Contributed by Venice      

Comments

[Frank]

That state farm article is truly informative, but your focus on setting a good example makes a lot of sense, that's exactly how we learn, by observing others.

My niece has driver's ed at school for the basics, it seems to be more difficult her parents than for her, this is their first experience teaching their child to drive.