Well, my daughter has bought her first car :string:

She is still on her L plates but has bought the car now so she can finish her learning on a manual.

She goes for her practical driving test on 18/3. If she passes, she then has to log another 25 hours supervised driving hours and then when she turns 17 she can get her P plates and she off on her on. She doesn't turn 17 till July but it was very exciting buying her car and makes the whole thing feel closer. :booyah:

I can't wait till she is able to drive herself around. I have done as much as I can to give her a good start with driving skills and experience. She has had far more driving experience than any of her friends and that is all I can do. The rest is up to her to be responsible once she is on her own.

I can't imagine......... :faint: Congrats to your daughter & way to go mommy! :hug:

You cain't imagine? Here we believe that as soon as they can reach the pedals an see over the wheel they should start learnin to drive. I've already got Kat's 'car' picked out... though er mother will probly be somewhat against it hehe, I've a rustin 89 ford 250 4x4 wit way WAY to much motor in it, the fuel gauge an speedometer needles meet each other hehe. Kat can have that an fix it up the way she wants.

No seriously though... doesn't that jes make you feel... oh.. I donno... OLD? hehe no ok, real serious, it's one of those milestones isn't it? We cain't hang onto em forever, despite how much we may want to.

But uh.. how did she buy it? Who paid for it? what is it? whose payin the insurance etc?

:thumbsup:

How exciting!!!

Hell if Misty had to wait for that she'd never drive..... well maybe one of those barbie things... meh who am I kidding she'd need pedal extenders on that too......

I can't believe there are so many learning things before she can be on her own. Here, as long as you pass a written test and a driving test you're on you're own. I'm impressed with the required supervised hours etc...

Wow. In California you must be:
16 years old,
Had a permit for a minimum of 6 months
Have completed driver education
Have completed 6 hours of professional driver training
Have completed 50 hours of practice with an adult 25 years or older. The adult must have a valid California driver license and certify to the 50 hours of practice. At least 10 of the 50 hours must have been done at night.

Also, an adult must be accompany the driver (under 18) if:
* Transporting passengers under 20 years of age, at any time for the first twelve months.
* Driving between the hours of 11:00 PM and 5:00 AM for the first twelve months

Really?!?!? No wonder Oklahoman's are such sucky drivers!! :string:

I don't knnow if things have changed since I got my driver's license but there really were no other requirements at that time... I'll look it up...

Nope..still have to just pass a couple of tests:

My kids have to pass "Dad's Tests" before they even think of getting anywhere the DMV to attempt their license.......

Right now Z is failing miserably.....


But he's starting to pull his head out of his ass..... so who knows by the time he can actually take his test he might be able to....

No need for me to post here for another 9 years....hehe.

Given the statistics of teenagers and driving safety, I'm not letting my boys drive till they're at least 18 and the girl till she's 17...

Yep, does make me feel a little old, especially compared to you lot who still are years off having kids getting driver's licenses.

OK, She's been saving for a while and I said I would go $ for $ with her towards her car. Then her Dad put in some as well. In fact, he put up the most, he wanted her to have a safe, reliable car. The financial thing is what he does really well for us.

From what I've been told, cars are more expensive over here than there. The car cost her $11G's (probably about 10200 in USD). It is an 2004 Hyundai Elantra hatchback. The great thing is they have a 5 year new car warranty so she still has that till Nov 2009 :booyah: It's a great car.

She pays the rego and insurance costs. While she is still learning and doing the family driving, I am paying the petrol. Once she is on her own and doing her own driving she will be responsible for the petrol as well. I'll probably give her some petrol money depending on how much she helps me with driving the other two around. She will also pay for services etc.

That's why they have brought in the tighter learner conditions. I think it's a good idea.

I don't think that's fair.. If it's set at one level for one child it should be set ther for the rest....

Which is why they have to pass my tests to be able to drive... If they can't pass my tests they dont' get their license until they can get insurance that doesn't have to go under an adults exisitng policy.. my rates arent' gonna jack up becuase my kid can't keep his foot off the floor....

If the sexes were identical then perhaps, but you cannot deny the differences in brain wiring, risk taking, aggressiveness, etc... Boys and girls are different. That's why teenage boys do indeed get into more car accidents than teenage girls. Insurance for boys is more costly than for girls for a reason. And when you add up all those factors, why in the world would you treat the two as if they were the same?

Wanna hear something that'll make you sick?

A customer came in and bought a car for his daughter's 16th birthday - which hasn't happened yet - and paid $32k cash for it. One of these, but it's black exterior with black leather interior. Yeah, I know - it'll be hotter then H-E-double toothpicks on a Houston summer afternoon...

I really like the Murano :D

So did this girl. Me, I think the '09 Murano is much better looking:


But if I had my choice, I'd pick the Sentra Spec-V:

It's got a 2.5L engine so it gets decent mileage. But that engine (which gives the Altima 2.5S 177 hp) gives the Spec-V 200 horses! And it's a 6-speed manual! And it's got an accelerometer (G-meter) on the dash to measure not your speed, but how fast you got there.

It looks like a Sentra on the outside, but the beast is within. I had ours over 100mph several times before it got sold. :bored:

Yeah, I want a Spec-V. A 350Z would just drive my insurance up... :whistle: