Teaching a Kid to Drive; How Much Trouble if You're Caught?

[ripnbst]

I learned how to drive on 4 wheelers, dirt bikes, Riding mowers, boats, jet skis, etc. Vehicles much less regulated than a car. By the time I got behind the wheel of a real car it was such a small learning curve.

I imagine you could be charged with endangering the welfare of a child, corrupting a minor, whatever other laws exist that have this same gist as well.

 

[Okie4570]

Taught drivers ed for many years. There's three categories of kids.
1. Farm kids
2. Kids who've practiced some with parents
3. Kids who've never set in the driver seat.

Farm kids can operate the vehicle great, but are scary in traffic, they're used to having the road to themselves. Kids with practice will let you know every bad habit their parents have within a few minutes, lol. Kids that have never been in the drivers seat, start off in the parking lot till comfortable, then proceed from there.

 

[Okie4570]

No, you don't have to be a licensed driver. I've seen insurance claims where the car was wrecked after the drunk parent let their early teenager drive them to the store to buy more beer. That's a covered loss.

I didn't realize that, thanks.

 

[dennishoddy]

That doesn't have any thing to do with allowing underage kids to drive farm vehicles on county roads. That's child welfare laws concerning employment.

True.

 

[cjjtulsa]

I'd suggest the mall/store lots over high school lots (different enforcement rules for private vs. public property) if you don't know somebody with a farm/acreage. Unless it's December, you can usually find plenty of space at a mall lot.

I'll have to ask one of the local cops what they think of an empty school parking lot; there aren't many (read that any) malls close to where I am, other than Smith Farm in Owasso - which may or may not be full of cars.

It's crazy how things have changed, or maybe it's always been this way and we were fortunate; when I was 13 is was nothing for my grandad to throw me the keys to his car when we were pheasant hunting out in rural areas, and say "meet us over there and block". We drove all the time way out in the country like that, without an adult in the car, and we weren't even "farm kids". Guess it goes along with the shotguns in racks in the school parking lot, and no one batted an eye. Different era.

 

[A5Sooner]

I learned in a Volkswagen dune buggy on dirt roads near Ames, ok. It was a blast. I learned a lot about 'emergency maneuvering' on that loose gravel/sand.

Also learned coming home from quail hunting w/my grandfather. Once around thanksgiving he fell asleep and got pulled over for speeding somewhere east of Aline, officer told me to slow down and my grandfather to watch a little better. I was sweating bullets. That was '95-96 I was 14. Great memories with him.

It's crazy how times have changed since then.

I would say now get a golf cart and let them loose in the neighborhood if it safe. Should be fine.

 

[71buickfreak]

Teach him how to drive on private property. If your caught, he won't beable to get a license till 18. You'll get a large ticket for unlicensed driver, possible car impounded, and your insurance will be notified.
Insurance will go up or you'll be dropped.

A family friend was letting his 15 yoa drive to work. She was stopped for speeding. They made him drive over from work to retrieve her. He got about $800+ in tickets, kid lost her permit, and can't get a DL till 18 now. and his insurance dropped him, he's paying thru the nose now for vehicle insurance.

The problem here is that the 15 yo was not driving legally, there was not a licensed driver in the passenger seat. That is the problem.

 

[71buickfreak]

I've only done the public road thing once, and I was nervous.

Go carts are another opportunity to teach, as are motorcycles. I grew up riding dirt bikes and go carts. The day I turned 14, I made my mom follow me to the police dept so I could take my test and get my license. I didn't give her a choice! Almost ate it a few times, but that experience made me paid more attention.

I personally think that kids should start learning sooner rather than later. 6 months of occasional driving is not enough to learn how to safely operate a car. It takes years. I started learning in cars when I was 14 and then moved to Colorado, where I learned on snowy mountain roads. Oklahoma winters are a breeze compared to the ice and snow on a 10,000 foot mountain pass!

 

[subprep]

we took our daughters out to camp grounds on off seasons and let them drive around. Lots of turns and curves nobody around to hassle us with all their laws and crap. ;-)

 

[FakeHuman]

Take him out in a pasture and turn him loose, he will learn fast. Don't ask how I know!

This is how I start my teens out, plenty of open space to learn control and nothing to run into. What's really fun is to let your little ones, maybe five or six years old, sit on your lap and steer while you operate the gas and brakes. they think it's the best power wheels ever.

And to reiterate, I'm talking about open pasture land here, not public roads