Ben and Aaron passed the test to get their driving permit. They should get it and start driving next week.
And so it begins. I am hoping we can get under the wire on all the changes being made to young drivers’ rights. It is unfortunate that the bad driving habits of a few kids have to create problems for all the rest —— but that’s how we address problems in America today. We don’t address the root cause —— we try to punish everybody into compliance of more and more restrictive zero tolerance laws that don’t prevent the irresponsible from acting that way.
I don’t honestly think you can teach a teenager to suddenly be responsible behind the wheel if they weren’t already responsible to begin with. If you strip away the deaths caused by stoners, drinkers, and reckless drivers I think you come up with the few teenage traffic fatalities attributed to inexperience.
And responsible parents will teach their kids to drive carefully as best they can. Irresponsible parents teach the opposite. Preventing my children from getting a driver license for a year won’t stop the kid who thinks he can drive 80 mph down a country road at night. The irresponsible will just die a little older IF he waited to get the license.
That’s not to say I don’t worry about our guys getting into an accident or something —— it just means we try harder to see that they learn to drive better. And in the end —— that is something that can’t be mandated by any law.
MjL 23 Jan 2007, 7:49 a.m.
I’m sure you’re in dreamland by now, but just wanted to comment on the driving thing.
Is it any easier the second time around? I still have a horrible time with my kid out and about behind the wheel. To tell the truth, I’m glad that he’s a homebody type kid. He doesn’t go a lot of places and is content to stay at home.
Personally, I just have an awful time riding in a car with a new driver! I can handle the in town stuff, but god forbid I have to go 65 mph! I darn near pull my thumb off!
I do think it’s time to put some of that responsibility back on the drivers ed teacher! They sure don’t practice and test on the road skills like when you and I were in the class! Instead, they spend way too much time in a classroom writing papers about a driving topic and/or looking at a book.
Then, of course, my kid got a “fill-in” teacher. They needed an adult in the car a certain hour, but all of the certified drivers ed teachers weren’t available. Oh boy, let the learning roll! How about this: Day 1 -- supposed to just “meet the car” in the lot. Well, instead, we took turns driving to Deer Creek and back on Rt. 150 with no permits! No wonder I’m a nervous mom!
Ok, now I can sleep! I shouldn’t “read you” so late at night!
About
