5 ms·

It's totally true, we totally expect young drivers to wreck a car early in their driving careers, and they often do, and we're totally fine with it, it's part o

by trgn 10y ago

It's totally true, we totally expect young drivers to wreck a car early in their driving careers, and they often do, and we're totally fine with it, it's part of the course. That mindset strikes me as completely insane to be honest (btw, I damaged my parent's car as well in my first year of driving). Why not something like that you have to start driving for a few years with a small car (like a kei-car of some sorts), and then you can graduate to a compact. And then after six years or so, you can drive something heavy and/or fast. I would be so much more at ease in traffic, knowing that those deathtrap crossovers, trucks, and SUVs around me aren't piloted by a texting teenager.

goodcanadian 10y ago
Yeah, to paraphrase my mother, "If I thought you were going to crash it, I wouldn't let you drive it." I actually learned to drive first on a ride-on lawn mower when I was barely heavy enough to keep the dead man switch active: hit a bump and the mower would switch off. Then I graduated to ATVs and finally to the farm pick-up truck when I was 12 or so. By the time I had a license, I was a quite capable and reasonably safe driver. Honestly, I think it may be best to learn before you are a teenager when you are still scared of the big machines.
- trgn 10y ago
  that sounds like a great way to learn how to drive
- marincounty 10y ago
  My parents taught me how to drive when I was around 13. By 15.5 driving was just driving. As a teen driver, I took a few chances, but was not a wild driver. I remember thinking, I just want my vechicle to last. Fooling around, and racing was just not my first priority? It was a different time in history though. These days a parent would be jailed for teaching a kid how to drive in Sears parking lot after closing hours. My mom was my driving teacher. Happy Mother's Day!
gambiting 10y ago
On the other hand, my first car when I started driving was a 0.7L, 2 cylinder, 36BHP Fiat Cinquecento. That 0-60 time was probably around 2 minutes, downhill. But thinking about it now - it's a horrible car for a young driver. It had no power steering, no power brakes, no ABS, I got into several slides in winter because the wheels would just lock when breaking, no air bags, it was so underpowered that it had difficulty starting moving uphill, which led to more than one dangerous situation on the road. In contrast, modern cars have more power, sure. But they also avoid collisions automatically, they have 15+ airbags around you, they have parking sensors, dead zone sensors, traction control, hill assist and other features that make it safer and easier to drive. If I have children one day they are definitely going to drive something modern, no matter what the time to 60 is.

by trgn 10y ago

goodcanadian 10y ago

Yeah, to paraphrase my mother, "If I thought you were going to crash it, I wouldn't let you drive it." I actually learned to drive first on a ride-on lawn mower when I was barely heavy enough to keep the dead man switch active: hit a bump and the mower would switch off. Then I graduated to ATVs and finally to the farm pick-up truck when I was 12 or so. By the time I had a license, I was a quite capable and reasonably safe driver. Honestly, I think it may be best to learn before you are a teenager when you are still scared of the big machines.

trgn 10y ago
that sounds like a great way to learn how to drive
marincounty 10y ago
My parents taught me how to drive when I was around 13. By 15.5 driving was just driving. As a teen driver, I took a few chances, but was not a wild driver. I remember thinking, I just want my vechicle to last. Fooling around, and racing was just not my first priority? It was a different time in history though. These days a parent would be jailed for teaching a kid how to drive in Sears parking lot after closing hours. My mom was my driving teacher. Happy Mother's Day!

gambiting 10y ago

On the other hand, my first car when I started driving was a 0.7L, 2 cylinder, 36BHP Fiat Cinquecento. That 0-60 time was probably around 2 minutes, downhill. But thinking about it now - it's a horrible car for a young driver. It had no power steering, no power brakes, no ABS, I got into several slides in winter because the wheels would just lock when breaking, no air bags, it was so underpowered that it had difficulty starting moving uphill, which led to more than one dangerous situation on the road. In contrast, modern cars have more power, sure. But they also avoid collisions automatically, they have 15+ airbags around you, they have parking sensors, dead zone sensors, traction control, hill assist and other features that make it safer and easier to drive. If I have children one day they are definitely going to drive something modern, no matter what the time to 60 is.