Topic: Feature: The Teen Driving Chronicles, Part 2

[Autos_Editor]

In part 2 of our driver education and parental retraining series, Steven and Simon's kids progress in their path to driver-hood.

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[tpl]

The pictures on page 2.  The kid driving a M-B B250 and the other picture of a truck in the rear view are different cars.   Mirror shape is one clue.

[pcsp]

Good observation tpl! In any event, it's a scary article. The only real effective way to address the problem of aggressive/illegal/sloppy/distracted driving is for cities to contract a fleet of unmarked vehicles (no, not Dodge Magnums, I'm talking 1998 Corollas)  with trained individuals having "special constable" status. Drivers would have absolutely no idea which cars around them could potentially stop them and issues ticket(s). Focus would be upon offenses not normally covered by police. For example, cell phone usage, not stopping on right turn on red light, tailgating, dangerous driving, speeding in parking lots, driving too slow, etc. Lives would be saved and driving would eventually become a more pleasant experience for all.

[carcrazed]

Man... I have to teach my wife how to drive soon.. or maybe I'll just let a professional to do it for sake of our relationship.

[tpl]

Man... I have to teach my wife how to drive soon.. or maybe I'll just let a professional to do it for sake of our relationship.

I taught my wife to drive.   In a bug-eye Sprite with little synchromesh and later a Ford Popular with a 3 speed manual and a juddery clutch.   She wasn't my wife back then but she still is now 41 years later.

[jyarkony]

The pictures on page 2.  The kid driving a M-B B250 and the other picture of a truck in the rear view are different cars.   Mirror shape is one clue.

that photo is a preview of what to expect in part 3, what Simon was referring to in "the experts show how it's done"....

[Northernridge]

An unintended consequence of my kids learning to drive with a full-sized pickup is that they are quite confident driving anywhere (city or country) in any type of passenger vehicle.

[Fobroader]

An unintended consequence of my kids learning to drive with a full-sized pickup is that they are quite confident driving anywhere (city or country) in any type of passenger vehicle.

I learned to drive and to drive stick on my dads 84 dodge pickup, heavy clutch, no power steering.....everything I've driven since has been a cake walk.

Sent from my Galaxy S3

[johngenx]

I learned to drive in a Datsun 510 driving between Inuvik and Tuk on the ice highway when I was 13.  I'd been riding dirt bikes for a while and had a good understanding of gears/clutch/etc, so that really helped.  The car was owned by an older friend of mine, and no, he didn't have a license either.

The missus didn't get her license until she was 25, so I taught her to drive.

I taught my Dad to ride a motorcycle.

[mixmanmash]

I learned to drive in a Datsun 510 driving between Inuvik and Tuk on the ice highway when I was 13.  I'd been riding dirt bikes for a while and had a good understanding of gears/clutch/etc, so that really helped.  The car was owned by an older friend of mine, and no, he didn't have a license either.

The missus didn't get her license until she was 25, so I taught her to drive.

I taught my Dad to ride a motorcycle.

Love them old 510s.  Would love to find one with a straight body and swap a SR20DET into it.

[blur911]

I learned to drive in a Datsun 510 driving between Inuvik and Tuk on the ice highway when I was 13.  I'd been riding dirt bikes for a while and had a good understanding of gears/clutch/etc, so that really helped.  The car was owned by an older friend of mine, and no, he didn't have a license either.

The missus didn't get her license until she was 25, so I taught her to drive.

I taught my Dad to ride a motorcycle.

Sounds similar to me, learned gears and clutching on a dirtbike, then graduated to a dune-buggy to terrorize the beaches with. (the brakes never really worked on all the wheels most of the time)
Also had to load and drive fishing gear about in the pickup during fishing season. 
Had lots of driving experience long before being old enough to get a license.  BTW, we also had an ice-road for winter crossing when I was a kid.

[canuckystan]

Driving school is the way to go.  My kids are too young to drive yet, but they'll learn to drive at an enclosed driving school without traffic to understand how the car behaves, well before they try it in traffic.  I like that quote of 85% of concentration just to drive in traffic - seems smart to start driving without traffic to master a few basics first without distraction.

[Northernridge]

We live near a small rural airport where a few ex-cops have started a driver training business using an old tarmac focused on vehicle control at the limits (of grip not performance). They have one of those cop training cars with outriggers or sponsons or whatever you call those thingys that stick out to prevent a role over. They use it to train regular folks how to deal with being at and beyond the limits of vehicle traction. The service is popular for winter driving training.

Anyhow, I thought it might be good training for my kids to learn what a real skid feels like, how it comes on and how to respond when it does. One shortcoming of driver training is that there is zero hands-on experience for emergency manoeuvres. Kids are only trained for ideal conditions.

[Fobroader]

We live near a small rural airport where a few ex-cops have started a driver training business using an old tarmac focused on vehicle control at the limits (of grip not performance). They have one of those cop training cars with outriggers or sponsons or whatever you call those thingys that stick out to prevent a role over. They use it to train regular folks how to deal with being at and beyond the limits of vehicle traction. The service is popular for winter driving training.

Anyhow, I thought it might be good training for my kids to learn what a real skid feels like, how it comes on and how to respond when it does. One shortcoming of driver training is that there is zero hands-on experience for emergency manoeuvres. Kids are only trained for ideal conditions.

I think skid control and how to handle emergency situations is a lot more important than parallel parking in my books......plus, skidding a car around might pique the interest of todays Ipad/Internet obsessed youts.