About halfway to the school Little MissMotorMouth mentioned, ever so casually, that in April she can get her learner’s permit and begin driving. I’d forgotten how closely I was approaching that corner when I wrote this article about choosing her first car.

Out of curiosity I rang my friend and insurance agent, Jim Seilsopour, and asked him what I need to do to begin getting prepared for 6 months from now at 15 ½, when she will be allowed to have a provisional permit. According to Jim, an agent for State Farm, I will not be charged for insuring my daughter during the six month provisional permit, or until she gets her license. This seems like a huge liability for an insurer but because of my driving record, my daughters good student standing (B average or above) and the fact that she is a girl ( contrary to what the OB/GYN told me a few hours before she was born), not only is her learning time not going to cost me more but my rates will increase only about $25 a month for the 2001 Kia Spectra. It may not seem fair that insurance leans favorably towards young female drivers but Jim pointed out that it is the direct result of uninsured teens who are boys being more likely to “borrow” the family car without being licensed.

If you have a teen who is 15 and, like my daughter, you feel is trustworthy enough to begin the learning process, here are some things that you can do now to get ready for your driving teen:

• In order to get the provisional permits at 15 ½ your teen will need 30 hours of professional drivers’ education (classwork). There are many online options, local private instructors or programs through school system.-at 15 ½, your teen will need to complete DL44 and submit it to your local DMV along with parental signature, social security number, proof of true full name (birth certificate), proof of registration to complete six hours of professional driving instruction and the application fee.

• Contact your insurance agent to find out when you need to have your teenager added as a driver to your policy.

• As many parents require their teen to pay for their own insurance and gas, now is the best time to begin talking to your teen about how they are going to make money to pay for these things.

• Introduce your young driver to Ford’s Driving Skills for Life program online, and if at all possible, attend one of the events.

• In the following six months after the teen as received a permit, they will be required to drive at least 50 hours with an adult above the age of 25, 10 of the hours must be at night.

For now, I need to start discussing jobs with my girl. Although she might have been feeling pretty big for her britches this morning, all ready to begin the countdown till she can start to drive, I do know this: when I got to the gate of the school this morning right before the bell rang, she handed me her to-go cup with her coffee, and it was still completely full.

Originally posted here

There is no reciprocity. Men love women, women love children, children love hamsters.

What most do not know is that she usually would go on to add “And hamsters don’t love anybody.”

I am thinking of this because my daughter, a full on 14 year old, a girl version of Legolas, recently announced to me that she doesn’t want to drive until she is at least 18. This was a surprise for several reasons. First, her mother is Miss Mota Mouth. Second, she reads car magazines like most girls her age read Seventeen Magazine. Third, her mother is Miss Mota Mouth.

Could it be that my passion had only partially passed down to my offspring? The history, the enthusiasm, the innovation- everything that she is able to discuss is just because one day she will be really great playing Trivial Pursuit?

Serendipity arrived in the form of an invitation to attend a Driving Skills for Life event hosted by the Ford Fund. What an opportunity! We went to Chicago and upon arriving at the parking lot/ training area, L’il Miss Mota Mouth started shaking uncontrollably. As she watched the driving instructors guide local high school students through skid control techniques, I watched my daughter completely melt in fear. The realization hit: Momma loves daughter, daughter loves cars, cars do not love anybody. They look pretty in pictures but are big scary beasts to a 98 pound young adult.

Because she is not permitted I was going to be the driver while L’il Miss Mota Mouth rode and filmed. Fortunately the first two courses that I did were not skid control so even though I took out a few cones while doing obstacle aversion, by the time that we got to the modified sliding Mustangs, she was completely at ease. The other participants, mostly high school students who had qualified to attend because of their support of Ford’s programs to increase driver safety in Illinois schools, were doing fantastic driving. The driving instructors, all professional racing coaches, guided all of us through every step and answered questions joyfully.

Here is the interesting thing though: according to the California Department of Motor Vehicles the number of kids getting their licenses at 16 has dropped by 20%. The number of kids taking driver’s ed classes in their schools has dropped even more. Many kids are just waiting to drive when they do not have to attend a driver’s ed class of any kind and can just get a license at 18. I think that scares me more than the thought of 16 year olds behind the wheel because unexperienced and untrained drivers at any age are a concern.

In the end, L’il Miss Mota Mouth understood why even though she may not want the responsibility of being a young driver, she does need to learn to start building her skills (including response time that has apparently dulled in her mother’s years). By working with schools, communities and students, Ford’s program is bringing back the importance of driving safety among teens because they know that parents are talking more about sex and drugs with their teens than they are about safe driving.

Mother loves daughter. Daughter loves cars. Cars love nobody but the 98 pound kid will learn to own her driving skills.

More information about Ford’s Driving Skills for Life.

Originally posted here