Teenagers Becoming Car Owners
Owning a car is a serious responsibility. Not only are you responsible for the vehicle, but you are responsible for the lives of everyone in the vehicle and everyone that comes around the vehicle when it is moving. A license is not the best sign to determine if your teenager is ready for his own car. Here are some points to consider.
1. An understanding of finances can be invaluable when it comes to owning a car. Ideally, the teenager needs to have earned at least a portion of the purchase price. After the car has been bought, it is a good idea for the new driver to be financially obligated to purchase the gas, do regular maintenance and pay for the insurance - all with his own money. The need for income cannot replace the need for good grades in school. A responsible person will figure out how to balance the two needs in order to accomplish his goals.
2. Almost anyone can pass the driver’s test given locally. It is far more important that Mom or Dad give the new driver a passing grade. Not only should the teenager know the legal rules, but he should understand how to drive defensively and learn to see problems before they arise.
3. A teenager that is respectful to Mom and Dad and other adults is much more likely to be respectful to authority. Attitude is not a good thing on the road. If your teenager shows respect and a mild temperament then he may be ready to have his own vehicle.
4. One good turn deserves another. Let your teenager borrow your car for a few nights (or even a couple of weeks). Long enough for the novelty of driving to wear off. After that you will likely see how he is going to treat his own car if you ever decide he is ready for one.
5. It is extremely important that your teenager have plenty of time behind the wheel before she flies solo. It is just as important that she experience different driving situations. Take her on a road trip and let her do some driving on the interstate, in city traffic and other situations you think might arise. Give her the experience a little bit at a time and her sense of responsibility and confidence behind the wheel will continue to grow.
6. Each teenager will be different. It’s not a good idea to set a date deadline for getting a teenager his first car. Instead judge each individual on his (or her) attitudes and actions.
Giving a teenager a car is like providing her with a weapon that weighs over a ton and that goes 70 miles an hour. It can be dangerous and scary. Be sure that your teenager appreciates the severity of the situation, is willing to take financial responsibility and is determined to respect the rules and authority that govern the road.
June 21st, 2008 at 9:13 pm
Greetings,
I saw your blog and thought you might like to know about this program.
Street Survival was formed in April 2002 by the BMW Car Club of America Foundation, a 501c3 organization. Street Survival® is built upon the premise that ’safe driving is learned by doing.’ From the outset, Street Survival® has always been a “hands on” program and it is designed to go beyond the typical high school driver’s education program. The program teaches students to avoid accidents by thinking and looking ahead. Street Survival® is unique in that it offers students instruction in their own cars so that they learn the limitations of their ‘daily drivers’ and that information is transferred immediately to what they drive everyday, whether it’s a new Accord, pick-up truck, 5 year old Minivan, or the hand-me –down 15 year old Volvo station wagon. If you haven’t, please check out our website at http://www.streetsurvival.org.
As a point of background, 2003 was the pilot year for Street Survival® and several successful schools were held around the country. In 2004, more than a dozen schools providing instruction for several hundred students were held.
The year 2005 had 18 successful schools across the country. The Tire Rack signed on as our title sponsor in 2006 and has opened the doors to many more clubs and events. You can visit the Tire Rack at http://www.tirerack.com. The Sports Car Club of America is now facilitating schools under the Tire Rack Street Survival® banner. You can visit the SCCA at http://www.scca.org. We are discussing the program with additional car clubs such as the Porsche, Audi and Mercedes Benz Clubs. We know to expand this program as far as it can go we need to grow outside of just the BMW Club ranks.
We completed 56 schools in 2007 breaking our goal of 50. We have slated over 75 schools this year.
The schools are facilitated by chapters of the BMW Car Club of America and other car clubs where a trained instructor base can be utilized. The instructor to student ratio is quite low, often 2:1. They are held typically in a large parking lot, such as a football stadium or large mall. The schools are 1 day, typically from 8:00am to 4:00pm. The cost is $60. We average 25 students per school with our largest school holding 48 students every year for the last 3 years. There are usually 15-20 instructors in attendance, 5 -10 staff people and probably 20 parents and other adults.
The day is a mixture of classroom and in-car exercises with a coach in the car at all times with the student. The student is put though a collection of exercises based on real world scenarios. They work on skid control on a wet skid pad; go through a lane change / accident avoidance maneuvers; threshold breaking / ABS exercises; they drive a slalom course to learn about weight transfer. In the classroom they learn about proper seating position and hand positions, mirror placement, the concept of the contact patch of their tires, the theories of weight transfer, the use of long distance vision and situational awareness. We talk about the challenges of distractions to the driver, be it the radio / CD player or phones for talking or texting or just the simple cause of too many teens in the car. Where possible we stage a semi truck on site and park cars around it to simulate highway driving. We then have each student and all adults get into the cab and close the door to show how little the driver can see and how many of the cars are not visible to the driver. We also may explode an air bag to reinforce what they learn in class about hand placement on the steering wheel.
I’d love to discuss this with you further at your convenience. Just let me know when a good time to follow up is.
Most of us are aware of the carnage that occurs on American highways and good driver education will help reduce accidents. With your support and help, the goal of the Tire Rack Street Survival® program will help make our teenager’s safer drivers and our roads a safer place to be for all of us.
Thank you,
Bill Wade
National Program Manager
Tire Rack Street Survival®
bill.wade@streetsurvival.org
http://www.streetsurvival.org
August 8th, 2008 at 4:32 pm
This is such an important topic. It’s really all about experience and no law can take the place of that. Thanks for posting.
August 11th, 2008 at 5:39 am
i have a 15 yr old son just about to turn 16 and get his license.
its a scary time for me..will take your advice and pass it on.
thanks