My son has learner’s permit . He is insisting to go and get his DL , as he is qualified for it now. But I am not confident about his driving skills as yet. Every time he drives he makes at least one blunder.
He is counting on me buying a car for him too. I do not want to buy a new car at this point as in my family I have seen that each teenager who was given a car ended up getting involved in car crash within one year of getting it.
So if I buy a car for him how old should it be ?
Any advise from teenagers and former teen agers , parents , behaviorists ?
Mirch uncle I have been driving for some time now and still my dad says lane discipline or keep checking the mirrors or pay attention or reduce the volume lol.. Still I am driving our third car and have not gotten my own brand new one yet. It takes time and practice to perfect driving skills. Have patience! New car is a no no. New drivers make mistakes, etc and it would be better if you did get one then it was a second hand one for the begining one two years.
Mirch bhai, whaever you do, do NOT buy your son a new car…
My parents bought me a really expensive car when i passed… 6 months later i crashed it, and the actual repair cost just as much as the price of the car… i was given a Brompton bicycle shortly after to use to get around London… but i sure as heck learnt my lesson.
He needs to know that he’s earned it, so start him off with a tooti pooti car… one that is safe for him to drive, but won’t have major financial repercussions if anything were to happen to it… once he’s shown that he is responsible then you can think about getting him something ‘one level up’ and so on…
The worst thing my parents ever did with us was give us everything on a plate, and then some…i advise you to not follow this approach.
I wouldnt get a brand new car, but i wouldnt get a tooti pooti one either incase God forbid if hes involved in an accident then an older car may cause more damage...My parents got me a car once i passed my driving test..but they made me drive their cars for a good 6 months before buying me a new car (not brand new).....alhumdulilah i was not involved in any crash, but i did scrape it a bit here and there...so thank god it wasn't new..once hes driven for a year or two he should be ready for a new car!!
The way things worked when I was of that age....if I wanted a car, I needed to buy it for myself, earn the money to put gas in it and contribute a bit to the monthly insurance costs.
This was in no way because my parents were cheap or didnt want me to have a car...it was to teach me responsibility. Life doesnt give you a free ride yeah? I worked my tail off as a bus-girl in a fancy restaurant. Worked my way up to waitress and earned enough money to buy a 1967 mustang. And since I worked my tail off to buy it for myself, I took great care in operating it. I also took great care in the amount of driving I did to keep gas cost down. When it needed repair, my dad the engineer would work on it with me, we'd get all dirty and greasy out in the driveway and what wonderful, happy memories of my Dad I have working on and fixing my car. I can do a brake job, oil change - heck we even pulled the engine once to repair the timing chain.
The way things worked when I was of that age....if I wanted a car, I needed to buy it for myself, earn the money to put gas in it and contribute a bit to the monthly insurance costs.
This was in no way because my parents were cheap or didnt want me to have a car...it was to teach me responsibility. Life doesnt give you a free ride yeah? I worked my tail off as a bus-girl in a fancy restaurant. Worked my way up to waitress and earned enough money to buy a 1967 mustang. And since I worked my tail off to buy it for myself, I took great care in operating it. I also took great care in the amount of driving I did to keep gas cost down. When it needed repair, my dad the engineer would work on it with me, we'd get all dirty and greasy out in the driveway and what wonderful, happy memories of my Dad I have working on and fixing my car. I can do a brake job, oil change - heck we even pulled the engine once to repair the timing chain.
Spot on. I agree with MO3 here. Does he work? If not does he get an allowance. Tell him to drive your car for practice righ tnow, and save up as much as he can towards the payment for a car say 1 year down the road. Let him work for it, that way he will appreciate it more & be more responsible in it's care/maintenance etc. But if you have to buy him a car, definitely go for a used car and have limits of how he can drive it.
Keep him away for as long as you can from a car and give him others hopes/bonus etc... until most of his mates get one........My parents got me a car at 16 and went from and A grade student to failing the year simply because non of my mates had a car and they hopped into mine everytime we wanted to Wag college :(
My parents did not give me a new car - I was a pretty unconfident driver, so I don't think they trusted me with one. Haha. But it was the right decision. Masha'Allah, I've never been in a wreck (I'm 25 now.....), but I attribute that to the fact that my parents never let me get carried away and never gave me everything on a platter.
Get a used car. Your son probably needs a car, so I'm not going to say to deprive him of one. My parents didn't get me a car at the age of 16....not even a used one. I didn't get a car until I was in college and, sadly, I was the only high school senior (12th grade) who rode the bus to school. It was humiliating, to say the least. ;) Don't inflict that on your child! Haha.
However, don't get him a car with his learner's permit! Wait until he has passed his driver's test at least. After that, I'd suggest getting a used car.
In the first year of driving, I think everyone goofs and makes mistakes. It's not something that can be helped.
I also crashed my parent's brand new car at 16. (phir jootian bhi paraien thien)
I think no 16/17 year old should have a car of his own. They are JUST NOT responsible enough. Combine that with raging hormones and music and you got a BAD combination.
I think you should let him have access to a family car (maybe a minvian or such) for driving around town with YOUR permission.
Also on your long family trips, let him drive. Trip to supermarket, let him drive. The more he practices - the better he'll get.
Owning a car is responsibility - so either he chips in and pays for a "chakar" that you get him or his insurance at the least.
"Driving is a Priveledge not a RIGHT" - you can quote me on that one :)
