Re: O.T. Jeep Cherokee for our 16 -year old

Posted by Hal/WA on February 05, 2005 at 16:23:43 from (148.65.0.200):

In Reply to: O.T. Jeep Cherokee for our 16 -year old posted by Kevin (FL) on February 03, 2005 at 09:42:03:

The Jeep is probably not a bad choice--it is a fairly large vehicle that hopefully would withstand a collision. I have never owned a newer Jeep, but people I know that have had them have liked them and said they held together pretty well.

It is hard to know just what to do with a young driver. I raised 5 kids and after the oldest obtained an overpowered but worn out car by herself, I decided that it was much more practical for me to choose cars for the kids. I owned the cars until the kids turned 18 and graduated from high school, at which time I put the cars in their names. I chose cars that were in good mechanical shape, had decent cosmetics and which had fairly small engines so they wouldn't go very fast and would get reasonable gas mileage. I wanted cars that I wouldn't have to work on very much (as I continually worked on that oldest daughter's car to keep it running), and also cars that the kids wouldn't be ashamed of, but which were absolutely not in the running for "the coolest car in school".

There was an understanding between me and each of my kids: driving is a priveledge and not a right--it would be the FIRST THING THEY LOST as punishment if they did not do what they were supposed to. I required good grades (never a real problem with any of them), legal driving (tickets or accidents resulted in loss of driving for awhile), that no one else ever be allowed to drive the car (I told them unless somebody is dieing, and that person better be you), that they pay for their own car insurance and gas. I maintained the cars and the kids only had to buy tires if they destroyed the tires by driving on them flat or wore them out way too fast by spinning them.

It worked pretty well. Each of them had at least one accident before they were out of college, and each of them got at least one ticket in high school. Only one accident could have been a fatality (if the car had rolled over into a creek instead of stopping with just the front end under water) and most of the accidents were minor enough that the cars could be driven home. The kids had to pay their own tickets and were made very aware of what tickets and reported accidents would do to their insurance rates. But all 5 survived the time period and I didn't have to work on their cars too much.

Putting a child behind the wheel is taking a chance with the most valuable asset in your life......I don't think I could live through losing a kid. So impress upon your daughter what she must do and what she absolutely must not do with any vehicle. I would DEMAND that she and everyone else in the vehicle always use seat belts before the car moves. I would severely limit the persons that she can give rides to, as kids often show off in front of a group. And at least at first, I would severely limit where she can go and the routes she can take.

Do I sound like an overprotective parent? Maybe. But my 5 kids made it through this OK, unlike some of their friends.

Will your daughter have accidents? Statistics say probably--that is why insurance on new, young drivers costs so much. Only experience and judgment helps this problem. I urge you to set rules and carry through with them.

Good luck with your daughter's driving--you will need it! I am so glad to have that time period behind us in our family.

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