Should a 13 Year Old Be Allowed To Drive A Car? (girl, accidents)

[wolfclawwww]

I wanna drive too, and ive drove on my street and in a parking lot. it was fun.

[ffaemily]

At eight I was driving my grandpa's 806 Farmall a mile or more to other peoples farm so I could help them out. At 10 my great uncle got very sick so I had to take care of him he lived 3 miles away, so I took the rusty 1966 F100 out by myself. I could barely see over the steering wheel, but I was the only one to be there if my uncle needed something. It may not have been the safest thing in the world but I survived. It is a lot safer when the kid is with the parents, learning at that age. Most my friends parents took them into a field at that age and taught them how to drive. Now it's a lot less normal.

[annabanana123]

I remember driving a neighbors truck on his property when we were too little to reach the pedals. One person steered and the other pressed gas/brakes. Still surprised the parents let us do that...

But 13 in a deserted parking lot or on private property is fine with me. Driving on streets or around other cars, no.

[BostonMike7]

I learned to drive at age 14. Was pretty easy, and I had it down in no time.


But, this was deserted parking lot, or large area of private land. I didn't go on the streets til I legally could.

[Girl]

I may have already posted on this thread, but my grandmother lived in the country (and I mean COUNTRY) in central Virginia and the roads were so empty that she thought nothing of letting my 13-year-old self drive to the next town over (on major/minor roadways (not HIGHWAYS though)) when I was visiting during summer break. She was always in the car with me - I didn't drive alone.

By the time I took driver's ed at 15 years old, I was an old hat at driving. To the point where when my grandmother and I took a trip to Nashville the month after I got my license, she let me drive most of the way from Virginia to TN as well as all over Nashville during the trip.

[Unsettomati]

13? Too young.

However, South Dakota issues licenses beginning at 14 years, 3 months, and several states issues permits at age 14. Still too young, in my opinion, though I can perhaps see circumstances for hardship licenses being issued at younger ages, only for use in limited circumstances.

[Veronicka]

Situations are different. Some people are rural and I don't think it is a big deal, especially on private property.

I live in a city and there are empty lots that I would not object to an underage person practicing on but it is illegal. To me, it isn't worth it to take a chance at getting a ticket. Where I live, there are cops on patrol and it could happen.

There is nothing wrong with waiting until you have your permit either. Again, that depends on where you live.

[PeachSalsa]

I was driving farm equipment down public roads starting about age 10. I was driving the farm truck starting about age 13. When I took drivers ed at 15, it was so easy! I got 100% on my permit test at 15 and drivers test at 16. I taught my sons all to drive, but not until they had their permits. (Although they did drive a bobcat and a 4 wheeler pretty regularly at grandpa's place.)

[JayGatsby101]

I think it is completely fine, I'm 13 and I took my grandpas van (with permission) around our neighbor hood (which is big) and I drove around it with him in and out of the vehicle and I would say I passed 2 or 3 cops (they were cool cops) They stopped me and asked me why i was driving a car underage. They pulled me over with my grandpa in and not in the vehicle. When they asked me why I was driving I simply explained to them that I'm nearing the age of a permit and I wanna be prepared for anything I need for the tests and all they did is ask for my NCIC (I have a military id) and they made sure I wasn't stopped for it before. After they said to me "As long as your safe, not causing a disturbance, and only staying in the neghibor hood I was fine and free to continue my driving"

[saibot]

Times have certainly changed. These days a lot of parents won't even let their 13-year-old sit in the front passenger seat.

I have a 13 (almost 14-)year-old daughter and I am not inclined to let her drive yet, even in a parking lot, but I don't think it's a crazy idea. She has friends who are older 14s or young 15s and they do this with their parents, even though none is quite old enough for a permit.