15 year old not interested in driving?

[torinsmom]

When I was 15, I went to get my learners permit on the first day I was eligible and I got my license on my 16th birthday. DS turned 15 in August. He took drivers ed this past summer, and got his drivers eligibility certificate in early August. WHen I bring up going to get his permit, he says he doesn't want it. He says he is not a good driver and is scared to drive. In our state, you can't get your license until you have a permit for a year, unless you are 18. So today we went down, but the office was packed. I am going to have to take him back next week and MAKE him take the test.

Anyone's else's kid feel this way?

 

[Phil'sFrontier]

Maybe encourage alternate forms of transportation, like a nice bike.

Also you could enrole him in a driving coarse. Maybe a basic one, or maybe something more challenging that involves track time. Something like that can be very interesting, and at the same time really boost his confidence behind the wheel.

 

[padams]

Not my DS! He turned 14 a few weeks ago and is counting the months, days, hours, minutes, seconds until he can drive.

However, I have many friends with high schoolers. It is not uncommon for kids to wait to get their learner permits and licenses because they don't want it, aren't ready, are scared, etc. Of course, given Atlanta traffic and drivers, I don't blame them. Your teen would have plenty of company in the passenger's seat here in ATL.

 

[JoanGirardi]

My oldest son was excited to get his permit, but was reluctant to drive or take the road test for his license. When I tried to force the issue, he got his friends to pick him up when he needed a ride. We let it go, because insurance is darned expensive to pay for if the kid doesn't want to drive anyway. He eventually had to get his license to drive to college, and it all worked out fine. My second son, different story--He wanted his permit and wanted to practice, and he has his license for his senior year of high school. My youngest will be eligible to get her permit in April, and she's counting the days. Every kid is different.

 

[SDFgirl]

My SIL didn't get her license until she was 25. She just didn't have any interest in driving and managed to get around just fine with public transit or rides from people.

I never really understood her reasoning, but she's a perfectly normal person in all other respects, so I just accepted it as one of her little quirks. We've all got 'em!!

 

[Nancyg56]

My DD did not want to get her license. WE tried everythign to encourage her and she kept looking up bus routes. Finally I just signed her up for Driver's Ed and told her she was taking it. SHe has loved driving ever since.

 

[declansdad]

let him do it when he wants to do it.

 

[2Kds2K9]

Mine will be 16 next month and has only read the book. Does not even have his permit yet. He really has no interest in it yet either. I'm not going to force him to get it until he's ready.

 

[LisaR]

My DD will be 15 in a few months and is counting down the time until she can get her permit. We already take her out on Sundays to an empty parking lot for practice. She has one friend that just turned 15 and got his permit. Other than that, she doesn't have a single friend that has their permit/license and all of them are 15 - 16 years old. They don't practice and haven't taken the class yet. They do not have any desire to drive. My DD is actually the odd one out on this.

 

[luvmy3]

I was never in a rush to drive either, I didn't get my license until I was 18. I had my friends or boyfriend cart me around until then Of course that was when you could have a car load of friends in your car wioth you, I think the rules have changed about who and how many people can be in a car with a new driver so he may find he needs to be able to drive to get himself somewhere.

Is the permit test just a written test or does he actually have to drive for it? If it was written I would make him take it, but I wouldn't force him to get his license any time soon. Good luck

 

[Merriwind]

Why the rush? He'll be ready when he's ready.

Our niece, at 16, is taking driver's ed and will take her road test as soon as allowed. Her 19yo sister has no interest. It seems to be one extreme or another. They all end up driving.

 

[DrCavin]

You should be thankfull, your wallet will thank you...

 

[freckles and boo]

Teenagers are generally terrible drivers. I will be relieved it my kids want to put it off for a year or two.

 

[NotUrsula]

I think this attitude has gotten a lot more common in the last decade or so, as kids get involved in more extracurricular activities that are not at school and require a car to get to. We drive them to a lot of things that have nothing to do with us personally, and they get used to that, and they expect it to continue for as long as they live at home.

My personal opinion on that is THINK AGAIN! We still drive DS12 to school in the morning because we have to take the baby to daycare anyway, but he has been getting himself home courtesy of his feet for the past two years. Starting at age 14 I'm not going to be driving him to anything social; we live in the City and there are buses at the top of the block, so if he wants to go to the movies, he can do it on his own. High School will be in the opposite direction, so he'll be getting there on his own, too. I figure that two years of taking public transit just about everywhere will motivate him pretty well, but he still won't have his own car until he leaves home or comes up with enough cash to buy one prior to that.

 

[JessicaR]

That would make me happy! Around here you can get your permit at 16 and then you are able to take drivers ed. At 17 if you took drivers ed you can then get your license. The day my son turned 16 we were at motor vehicle and he jumps at any chance to drive. He'll be 17 very soon.

You should be thankfull, your wallet will thank you...

Sooo true!

 

[torinsmom]

We don't live in a town with significant public transportation. He has taken drivers ed and done the driving part already( made him do that this summer). This is just a written test and I have told him he does not have to drive if he doesn't want to. I am just worried that he WILL want his license when he turns 16, and if he hasn't had the permit, he will have to do that and then wait a year. There is also a form the school signs for them to get the permit and it is only good for 30 days after they sign it. We are on his second one now, so I would rather do it before it expires once again.

If he ever wants an after school job, he will need transportation, and since I rarely get home before 6pm, it would be best if he could drive. We live in a small town, so it is not a scary place to drive.

 

[golfgal]

Ds17 was not in a hurry to get a permit or license. They have their driver's ed classes in school so he took that and they took their permit test in class so he got one anyway. He was reluctant to drive, we had to force him to drive. He wanted to take a class at another high school in our district and had to be able to get himself back and forth so he did drive, reluctantly. He passed his license test on the first try and we found a lot of "errands" for him to do so he would get more comfortable driving. He has been driving for a year and a half and is fine driving around town, he still doesn't like to drive on the highways though.

DD14 is marking off the days until she can get her permit. We let her move the car in the driveway the other day and she was in heaven. DS14 is ambivalent about driving, much like DS17 was.

 

[fluffycow333]

I'm not to excited to drive and I am also 15. I can't even push the shopping cart at the grocery store!

 

[LisaNJ25]

Don't push him if he is not ready. My son turned 17 in October and still doesn't drive. That has to do more with my rules that he grades need to come up and he needs a job. If he wanted to drive bad enough he would take care of those things

 

[Clio]

I have a cousin ans an aunt who never drove. They both took drivers ed and knew how but refused to drive. The cousin has small children and uses public transportation to get everywhere. My aunt had people drive her. Where I live there is no public transportation, so my daughter learned to drive at 16. She does drive herself places.
Liz