2 Teens Dead in 350Z Crash
Originally Posted by gtstephenson
I did teach both of my boys to drive. (They are both in their 30's now and good drivers).
I had a PLAN for what they should do in the process. Their mom wanted them to take a lesson from some driving instructor and that would be it, right? WRONG. They did take driving lessons in some Civic. Anyone could drive that car with very little skill.
I bought a little Nissan 4x4 with an under powered 4cyl engine. It was shiny red and had shiny wheels. It looked cool. But it was a Tonko truck (tank). I installed a roll bar. Not a cosmetic bar but a real roll bar with a steel plate across the bed of the truck (bottom and top) so the roll bar wouldn't punch thru in the event of a turn over.
That truck required a good bit of skill to manage the clutch and make a smooth launch. The driving lessons started with a trip to the local high school parking lot during the weekend. We would practice the launch. He had to get smooth so that I didn't spill my coffee. When he had the touch to do it on the flat we rolled up to a speed bump and he had to roll that stiff sprung truck over the speed bump without spilling my coffee. And the rear wheels would then hop over the speed bump and the coffee would be spilled. We practiced over and over, week after week. Then we learned how to parallel park. Weeks and weeks of practice. (I'm a perfectionist) - Then we went up on a hill that had gravel that had come down the hill onto the pavement. He had to stop on the hill and set the hand brake. The start up the hill without rolling backward and without spinning the tires in the gravel. There were complaints. "When will I have to do this" - My reply? "Ever drive in San Francisco?" - If you can't drive there, you can't drive.
I told them I wasn't giving them control of a 3000 lb killing machine unless they could be fully responsible. (Grades, homework, and household chores taken card of).
One last thing. It was *my* truck. They did get to drive it. They had to buy the gas and pay the insurance. And if they didn't take card of their responsibilities, I pulled the keys.
OK, I'm a hard ***. But I knew what I was doing was right. Right for the training necessary to survive in a busy part of the state where traffic is relentless.
At what age are kids ready to drive? I dunno. I don't think there is a *number* where everyone is ready. I had one son that was ready at 16. The other wasn't ready till 18. (Ready means he was responsible with the daily features in life).
Tom S.
I had a PLAN for what they should do in the process. Their mom wanted them to take a lesson from some driving instructor and that would be it, right? WRONG. They did take driving lessons in some Civic. Anyone could drive that car with very little skill.
I bought a little Nissan 4x4 with an under powered 4cyl engine. It was shiny red and had shiny wheels. It looked cool. But it was a Tonko truck (tank). I installed a roll bar. Not a cosmetic bar but a real roll bar with a steel plate across the bed of the truck (bottom and top) so the roll bar wouldn't punch thru in the event of a turn over.
That truck required a good bit of skill to manage the clutch and make a smooth launch. The driving lessons started with a trip to the local high school parking lot during the weekend. We would practice the launch. He had to get smooth so that I didn't spill my coffee. When he had the touch to do it on the flat we rolled up to a speed bump and he had to roll that stiff sprung truck over the speed bump without spilling my coffee. And the rear wheels would then hop over the speed bump and the coffee would be spilled. We practiced over and over, week after week. Then we learned how to parallel park. Weeks and weeks of practice. (I'm a perfectionist) - Then we went up on a hill that had gravel that had come down the hill onto the pavement. He had to stop on the hill and set the hand brake. The start up the hill without rolling backward and without spinning the tires in the gravel. There were complaints. "When will I have to do this" - My reply? "Ever drive in San Francisco?" - If you can't drive there, you can't drive.
I told them I wasn't giving them control of a 3000 lb killing machine unless they could be fully responsible. (Grades, homework, and household chores taken card of).
One last thing. It was *my* truck. They did get to drive it. They had to buy the gas and pay the insurance. And if they didn't take card of their responsibilities, I pulled the keys.
OK, I'm a hard ***. But I knew what I was doing was right. Right for the training necessary to survive in a busy part of the state where traffic is relentless.
At what age are kids ready to drive? I dunno. I don't think there is a *number* where everyone is ready. I had one son that was ready at 16. The other wasn't ready till 18. (Ready means he was responsible with the daily features in life).
Tom S.
I also agree with there being no true "number". I've met 16 year old kids who seem as though they could shoulder the responsibility of driving a sports car better than some people I know who are in their mid twenties. Funny how it all works out.
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my motto is. .it's not that i drive bad. .it's that EVERYONE else DOES!!!!
lets face it. .the country's over run with foreigner's who come from some lands where they drive horse,camel, donkey, or w/e else it is that they can ride upon where towns are small and everything is in walking distance plus with an animal it's like 2 heads are better than one. .cause a horse isn't going to run off a bridge, or slam into another horse if ya catch my drift. . .and then they come here where you NEED a car to get around to do something. .what do we all expect. .i feel that there should be some type of common knowledge. .like. .dont sell someone under 5'2 a BIG *** SUV. . .if they can't see over the dash. .don't sell sports cars to CHildren. . take the damn senior citizens off the road. .or least test them after 60 every few years .. .and if you ask me the speed limits around here w/e they say no one ever does it. .they either go way over it or way below it. .it's them damn people who go way below it that i can't stand but then i wonder. .that could be saving my life. ..but who knows. .the batteries in my crystal ball ran out!!!
lets face it. .the country's over run with foreigner's who come from some lands where they drive horse,camel, donkey, or w/e else it is that they can ride upon where towns are small and everything is in walking distance plus with an animal it's like 2 heads are better than one. .cause a horse isn't going to run off a bridge, or slam into another horse if ya catch my drift. . .and then they come here where you NEED a car to get around to do something. .what do we all expect. .i feel that there should be some type of common knowledge. .like. .dont sell someone under 5'2 a BIG *** SUV. . .if they can't see over the dash. .don't sell sports cars to CHildren. . take the damn senior citizens off the road. .or least test them after 60 every few years .. .and if you ask me the speed limits around here w/e they say no one ever does it. .they either go way over it or way below it. .it's them damn people who go way below it that i can't stand but then i wonder. .that could be saving my life. ..but who knows. .the batteries in my crystal ball ran out!!!
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