All Hokie, All the Time. Period. Presented by First Bank & Trust Company

Tafkam Hokie
Joined: 10/07/1999
Posts: 40,227
Likes: 21,984
Founder Subscriber

Parenting issue with a teen driver

I'm in a bit of a pickle I've never been in, or even know anyone who has been, before. We've got a senior in high school whose been driving for two years now, and today had his fourth collision. Thankfully, every incident had zero injuries. 1 - He was turning left into a lane of traffic within the parking lot at the mall. An oncoming car was either in their left lane or he misjudged where he was and they ended up sideswiping each other. Pretty sure this was his fault, but the details are pretty fuzzy on that one. 2 - He was sitting at a stop sign and got rear-ended. 3 - Car in front of him slowed to turn into a parking lot and he didn't brake in time and rear-ended them. This one totalled the car. 4 - (Today) Backed out of the driveway into one of our other cars. Relatively minor damage, but still likely replacing a bumper on one car and a door on the other. I get that everyone makes mistakes. I totalled a car at that age too. But that was also my only wreck as a driver, other than a couple of times a deer tried to imitate a rhinoceros and ran into me. He's a great kid. Gets straight A's. Volunteers a lot. Never in trouble with the school. Friend groups are similarly great kids. Got into VT early action for Mechanical Engineering. As youths of today goes, he's got his head on straight. But he's got some kind of black cloud following him around when he drives. I feel like taking away his permit punishes us more than him since he has obligations he needs to get to. But we're getting killed with his insurance premiums. I'd like to just say from this day forward, car insurance is his problem. But he is already stressed about how to pay for college and tossing a $300+/month bill in his lap would be way more overwhelming to him than to us. And realistically, it would come out of our pocket either way since he is trying to save money for college and we're covering what he can't. What are reasonable consequences for repetitive car collisions that don't end up punishing the parents more than the kid?
Posted: 04/28/2025 at 01:06 PM ET

Thread Replies (51)

Full Thread →
Parenting issue with a teen driver
Tafkam Hokie 04/28/25 01:06 PM ET
Check out Tire Rack Street Survival
TechMomof2 05/01/25 11:07 AM ET
https://streetsurvival.org/**
TechMomof2 05/01/25 03:31 PM ET
Poor spatial skills. If you’re going to dental school you get tested for
DonHo-kieHi 04/28/25 08:48 PM ET
bus, walk, bike? (try a different/lowercase version of locomotion).**
bourbonstreet 04/28/25 08:38 PM ET
Buy him old school ford f450 straight shift no power steering diesel.
okiehokie1 04/28/25 06:41 PM ET
He needs to focus when driving. Not everyone is good at it, but it seems
Vtskier1 04/28/25 03:58 PM ET
Maybe a Tesla with the self driving mode?
EDGEMAN 04/28/25 03:59 PM ET
So the answer is to buy him an expensive car? lol. I don't have an answer->
HOKIERIT 04/28/25 08:14 PM ET
Was thinking a car that wouldn't run into other cars...lol**
EDGEMAN 04/29/25 07:03 AM ET
OH...like a (used) TANK!😁
HOKIERIT 04/29/25 10:15 AM ET
Like a Chrysler New Yorker from the 70s? I like the way you think...lol**
EDGEMAN 04/29/25 10:20 AM ET
Yep...a used TANK!**
HOKIERIT 04/29/25 10:27 AM ET
Maybe a F250 with massive aftermarket steel bumpers. Like this:
EDGEMAN 04/29/25 10:29 AM ET
Or better yet, one of these:
EDGEMAN 04/29/25 10:32 AM ET
They are all minor incidents until they're not. I'd suggest driving lessons
MCL3 Hokie 04/28/25 03:23 PM ET
I'm assuming he's had his eyes checked?
TribeAlumHokieFan 04/28/25 03:21 PM ET
You need something to monitor his driving and coach him up
hokieninsurance 04/28/25 03:21 PM ET
Couple thoughts...
Beerman 04/28/25 03:20 PM ET
Couple thoughts on the thoughts
Tafkam Hokie 04/28/25 04:18 PM ET
Not suggesting aggressive driving, per se
Beerman 04/28/25 04:32 PM ET
he has caused damage to two other people's cars (besides yours)
HokieAl 04/28/25 03:17 PM ET
Driving is a priviledge not a right. I lost my license for 6 months on my
UTPr0sim 04/28/25 03:13 PM ET
I hear this works great for improving ocular dominance... **
Burruss Writer 04/28/25 03:01 PM ET
Well, he's got to feel some financial pain from his lack of focus. The
Hokebury 04/28/25 02:56 PM ET
Was he in the car by himself or with buddy?Also,
Stork 04/28/25 02:52 PM ET
Every incident he was by himself in the car**
Tafkam Hokie 04/28/25 04:09 PM ET
It’s funny. I have a daughter and son I would have sworn beforehand that my
Stork 04/28/25 05:16 PM ET
Make sure he doesn't drive your car...lol**
EDGEMAN 04/28/25 02:21 PM ET
Well, one wasn't his fault--being rear ended at a stop sign shouldn't...
vthhhi 04/28/25 02:00 PM ET
Two sons and one wife - buy clunkers
TomTurkey 04/28/25 01:38 PM ET
Yep, I had kids listed on my ancient honda prelude
RTFC 04/28/25 06:14 PM ET
Same here
TomTurkey 04/28/25 06:40 PM ET
Debating paying for cracked windshield* to avoid SF getting nasty
TomTurkey 04/28/25 04:02 PM ET
I wouldn't hold #2 against him.
vthokieq 04/28/25 01:33 PM ET
Well, maybe if you wore gloves, or washed your hands IMMEDIATELY after,
Late 80s Hokie 04/28/25 02:10 PM ET
I don't have anything useful, I don't think....
JoesterVT 04/28/25 01:30 PM ET
Yep, buy him a beater car and ....
BleedinOandM 04/28/25 01:48 PM ET
Personally, it sounds like mostly bad luck, but there's a fine line between
UEMcGill 04/28/25 01:17 PM ET
ehh...hitting a parked car is not bad luck.**
JoesterVT 04/28/25 01:24 PM ET
Meh, I would call you on that. I know a lot of people who have done that.
UEMcGill 04/28/25 02:35 PM ET
Huh...? Lol. Sorry, hitting any any stationary object is 100% your fault
JoesterVT 04/28/25 02:45 PM ET
True, backing into a parked car is 100% your fault
Tafkam Hokie 04/28/25 04:34 PM ET
Next time you run over something that you never saw, like a nail, and blow
UEMcGill 04/28/25 03:02 PM ET
Hitting a parked car is in no way similar to running over a nail.
reestuart 04/28/25 03:34 PM ET
Your making a bizarre analogy there **
JoesterVT 04/28/25 03:16 PM ET
Your words. If you hit a stationary object it's 100% your fault.
UEMcGill 04/28/25 03:31 PM ET
Okie dokie
JoesterVT 04/28/25 03:50 PM ET
I just have a problem with people that speak in absolutes. And saying 100%
UEMcGill 04/28/25 04:01 PM ET
Here’s a bit of insurance trivia, when State Farm was founded, the policy
Stork 04/28/25 02:57 PM ET
More like dumb luck**
Brown Water 04/28/25 01:28 PM ET
I stopped at dumb and have been there**
TomTurkey 04/28/25 01:41 PM ET