Learning to Drive

I grew up in the city. My first lessons were in the cemetery. Everyone was already dead so not much of a worry... JK everyone! But that would be what my mom would say.

I loved reading everyone's farm stories. That must have been so cool.

my grandpa taught me to drive when I was 12. First just in his neighborhood, and then on the actual busy street. Then I also remember my dad taking me out when I was 14. I didn't actually get my license until I was 17 though. I didn't plan it that way, it just ended up that way since we did a big out of state move when I was 15 and couldn't get my permit right away, so I had to wait until I was 16 for that.

I started learning when I was 15. I had zero experience. My mom needed me to get my liscence because she was divorced, worked full time and needed me to drive my sister to school and activities. I also was in lots of activities and she wanted me to be able to come and go when she needed me.

Our daughter, did not want to drive! She knows Austin drivers are crazy. They run red lights,they dare you to go, when it rains, we speed home to get off of the slick roads. Our traffic is terrible.

Crazy. But we sent her to driving school for theory and then we taught her the behind the wheel. She did not go and get her liscence till she was 18 and about to leave for college. We had her first
Practices in different empty parking lots. Then in our neighborhood. One time we were way down in south Texas, no cars for miles. She got a lot of driving hours that way.

Funny thing, she ended up getting a special permit to drive the college van to Harvard, for a conference. There were 7 passengers. It was a course and she volunteered! We were amazed. She is the last person we expected to volunteer to do
Such a thing.

She is a good driver.

I also started learning at 12 on a deserted country road, first in the automatic then in my dad's manual truck.
I taught both my boys to drive my 5 speed Mazda 3 when they were 15. (I am sure dad probably let them drive his automatic before that!) We started in parking lots until they got used to the clutch. We had an abandoned mall near us that I could use for the older one. I had to search for a little used road for the younger one.
They had driven golf carts a little before, but I am not sure they generalize that to cars. But it couldn't hurt.

I grew up in the city, so I didn't (officially) learn until the summer before I turned 15, when I took driver's ed. But, prior to that I had taken my parents' minivan a few times while they were at work. It was their fault for not leaving us enough snacks, so I HAD to go get some from the grocery store. It was my duty, as a big sister, to procure food for my little brothers. Right? Yeah, my parents didn't see it that way either when they had to come pick up the car after it stalled and I couldn't get it back home again. Whoops.

I learned to drive my sisters car on a dirt road when I was 11. I didn't officially learn to drive until I took drivers ed when I was 15. I got my license when I was 16 and bought my first car (from my sister). My boys have been driving go-carts since they were three.

My dad tried to teach me but he was the WORST teacher - scared the heck out of me. The car tended to be a bit jumpy, which didn't help much. My grandmother gifted me money for lessons from a driving school and it was a lifesaver. It made all the difference. Started from zero, they just had me get in and drive to pick up the next person, then drop myself off. I was on a major highway the first day and did fine. Major confidence boost, and I will definitely get my son lessons when it's time for him to learn.

I taught my daughter. I married my hubby when she was about 12. We lived out in the country on 10 acres for a while, until his parents retired and we moved in town so they could live out there. I am such a city girl.

Anyway. I taught my daughter to drive a stick with her eyes closed. There wasn't anything to hit so she was pretty safe.

I had her turn the car on with her feet pressing the right pedals. Then I had her slowly lift her left foot until she felt the clutch move. She could do that so much better with her eyes closed. I also taught her to do this barefooted. The feeling is so different. She was able to catch on very quickly and I did not need a new clutch afterwards.

I think she was about 15.

I was 19 when I actually got my license. I was never given the chance to practice driving until a year after I had graduated from high school. It was just the circumstance of the time for me. Behind the wheel driver's ed was not offered in school. I took one behind the wheel driving course with a friend who was a state-certified instructor and just practiced driving around in rural areas for a few months. I still have at least 6 more years til I need to start teaching my oldest. I'm not looking forward to it. :/

I learned in Jr High school, 9th grade I think. I took Driver's Ed at school.

It is the hardest thing I've ever done with my 17 yr old. Around here, Drivers Ed is not in the schools and you have to do it on the side in your spare time. We took daughter to a leading place in Plano, paid $40/hour for a private teacher to drive with her, she went through the program and required drive times for the state. The process with the class time was 3 weeks but getting required drive times was very hard and it took from March-December to hit the requirements. The school released a drive time schedule every Monday night at 8 and you had to be on your computer ready to request a time because they were gone within minutes. She started at 15 and got her license at 16.

I learned when I was 14. I spent most of the summer at a friend's farm, and we were allowed to "drive" a truck all around the property. It didn't have power steering, and the brakes were shot. It was a manual transmission. I'm glad I learned to drive that truck because after that I could drive just about anything. ;)

We own several acres now, and have a 14 year old son that we've been sort of teaching to drive for the past couple of years. He can easily drive forward and back up now, and lately we've been letting him drive around a bit more. He drives my car and my husband's truck so that he's comfortable in both vehicles. We'll start taking him to large parking lots soon so that he can drive farther and we can teach him more. He'll get his permit in January, and we'll send him to driving school next summer. Oh, he's been driving go-carts and tractors for years, too.

I was probably around 9 the first time I drove a car with my dad out on back country roads. Then I would get to drive in circles on their property at the lake, out on the ice when we went ice fishing, drove snowmobiles, etc. I got my boat permit at 12, driver's permit at 15 and license at 16.
My son is 16 now and has his license. He was probably 12 the first time he drove a car (out on backroads). He started on Powerwheels, then the mower, golf cart, etc. My daughter started the same way (she'll get her permit in 5 months). They both have their snowmobile permits, boat permits and ATV. The first time my son drove on tar was when he had his actual permit and it will probably be the same for my daughter.

I think, the more experience the better. The day they pass the written test, they can drive with any licensed driver over 21. There's no more "behind the wheel" BEFORE being allowed to drive. Everyone I can think of has practiced before being legal.

hmmm, well, all of the kids in my circle of family/friends had a variety of opportunities to learn to drive!

& it all started with those danged Power Wheels at age 1 & up. & I'm not exaggerating. My younger son received a P.W. 4 wheeler for his 1st BD! He loved it, & it was just strong enough to pull thru our carpet. For the rest of the kids, they all learned to handle P.W. btwn age 2-3.

All of the kids owned their own real 4wheelers or power scooters by age 5 or so. Some of the kids had mini bikes by age 7-8, & the rest had their own by 10. Both of my sons still have their vintage scooters....we have a Suzuki, a Pinto, & a Vespa. All were purchased during early teen years. & my sister's kids still have their 4wheelers....purchased also during early teen years.

All of the kids learned to handle tractors/mowers/etc before teen years. & all of them were driving on family property by 13 or so. The 2 youngest just turned 16 this summer. & just as a point of reference, we live in a small town & my niece lives on the outskirts of St Louis. My younger son learned to drive at the city sewer plant, & my niece learned to drive on family property. Ironic, hunh? LOL

All street practice came after the permit testing at age 15 for all of the kids. But, as far as I'm concerned, they all had the basics down by 13. :)

Another interesting fact: when my 25yo son took driver's ed, it was a H.S. graduation requirement. For my 16yo son, we had to lobby to get him into class & it was no longer a requirement. His BD is late July, & we had to push for the class during his freshman year at age 15. His counselor wanted him to wait until summer school...right before his 16th BD. I saw no point in wasting that full school year when he could be practicing with the full course under his belt. :)

& for a little bit more info: I got my license at age 17, after H.S. graduation. I grew up in St Louis, got my permit at the small town by our lake house, & tested in the nearest city to our lake house. Crazy!

I drove my dad's jeep (solo) around the farm starting around 9-10. We would drive short stretches on the back roads as well, to deliver eggs or pick things up from our neighbors. My dad taught us the 'rules' of the road, and the people in our area knew that kids (not only us... there were about 3 other families who allowed their children to drive...) often drove on the roads, so they knew to be careful.

When we moved to town, we weren't allowed to drive any more (unless we went to the farm...) until we got our learner's permit at 14, and licenses at 15. :)

I imagine that when my DD is old enough to handle a real vehicle (she has one of those little kiddie 4-wheelers...) I will either take her into a deserted parking lot... heck, by then we might have our own farm, or be able to visit our old one. :)

I didn't get my license til I was 25.
My son had a power wheels jeep at 18 months, a power wheels 4 wheeler when he was 3, when he was 5, Santa got him a real 2-seater go cart, 3 forward gears, one reverse. He shifts and drives like a pro all by himself.
I tell him he is going to be my chauffer in a few years.

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I was in my teens - 16 ish. I took Driver's Ed in school.

We put my sks through a program called I Drive Smart which is run locally by police officers. We used that for base skills. We also took the kids out in the van (the vehicle they would test in at the MVA) and practiced things like parking, parallel parking, turns, etc. Many weekends here you will see parents out with the kids in empty lots just driving in circles. Some of our schools are so big they basically have small roads around them. When I was a kid, my mom took me on a back country road to practice.

We did not start teaching them to drive until they were old enough for a learner's permit.

It's against the law to drive before you have your learner's permit at 15 (here in Florida at least). I think there was an incident a while back where a little girl was driving with her dad in a church parking lot and she crashed the car. I don't really remember all the details. Driving with your learner's permit is probably sufficient practice as long as you get some good instruction from a parent, driver's ed course, or private instructor. I know a lot of parents who don't let their kids get their licenses the second they turn 16. So yes, you might be learning from zero but at 15 you are most capable and responsible to handle driving. Then you might be able to hold off your child until 17 so that's two years of practice before going on your own.

i lived in a rural area and drove lawn tractors at age 12. had friends that drove tractors at the same age. drove a real vehicle at 15.5, though i have several farm friends that have daughters who drive the trucks around at age 14.