What age do you let your kids . .

[WINTER]

get in cars with kids that drive?

 

[dolphinrescuegirl]

My mom let me when I was 14 and a freshman in high school. That way I could get rides to school and color guard practice.

 

[Sherri]

My kids are 15 and 14 and my rule is no driving with teenage drivers. When they are 16 1/2 they will be able to drive themselves.
I just don't feel confident with them going with other kids.

 

[Anewman]

Really depends on the driver in question.

 

[DisneyBlonde]

I have just recently begun to allow DS17, who will be 18 (yikes!) in December, to drive with our neighbor (almost 19 and very responsible). And I let him go to the movies with another friend yesterday yesterday (about 3 miles from home). His friends are all very quiet and good students. I still worry till he gets home.

 

[georgina]

DD was 15 when I let her ride with a few selected seniors in high school who I knew and trusted. This year she is 16 and has ridden a little more with friends. I always grill her about the rides, and she is learning to drive herself, so she pays attention to how other people are driving.

 

[sha_lyn]

It really never came up until this yr (DS is 17). He was the next to the oldest in his "'''old" group of friends. the oldest didn't got her permit around the time DS got his, and I don't think she has a license yet. DS has just had his license for 6 months, and could start having non family passengers as of Thursday. however his car is in the shop LOL. Most of his friends are still in their first 6 months. A couple have had theirslong enough to have passengers. I don't feel "great" about letting him ride around with them, but haven't restricted him either. I just keep drilling it into him that I am only a phone call away. I can come get him if he doesn't feel safe getting into someones car. In fact he just got a ride home with a friend and walled in the door as I was reading this thread.

 

[MELSMICE]

We went with the "16 years old" rule. My oldest DD has her license & I'm a nervous wreck every time she leaves the house whether it's her driving or a friend.

 

[MrsPete]

I don't think there's a hard-and-fast rule for this. I'd do it on a case-by-case basis; a few things that come to mind:

If my older daughter were old enough to drive, I'd let her drive her sister to the mall or to a school function.
I would probably say "yes" to an afternoon trip (daylight and light traffic). I would not allow my daughters to drive after dark or in rush-hour traffic with a new driver.
I would be more inclined to allow them to drive with JUST the driver instead of a group -- the group is more likely to get rowdy and distract the driver.
I would probably let them go to the mall (2 miles) with a young driver, but I would not allow them to go into the big city (20 miles).
I would proabably let them ride with someone I knew well and considered responsible in other areas of life, but I'd be less likely to let them ride with someone I don't know -- or someone who has appeared to be irresponsible in other ways.
I would not let them drive with a teen whom I know to have had tickets (because that means they're driving irresponsibly and have been caught at least once).
I would not allow them to go on "car dates" until at least 16, but that's not really about the driving.

 

[ilovejack02]

When my DSS turned 16 in April of 05 we bought him a car. He couldnt have friends in car wasnt alllowed to ride with other kids. He drove very little, only to karate and back and forth between his moms house and our house which was about 10 mins apart. When school started that fall, we gave him more freedom, but still only let him have one friend at a time in car sometimes and couldnt bring anyone to school and home. Once he hit 17, he gets to pretty much go and do as long as grades stay up, no tickets and follows our rules, curfew is 12.00-12.30 pm. He will be 18 soon I wish he was still 5 sometimes!!! Where did my little man go???

 

[tar heel]

Case by case basis here, and I wouldn't hesitate to make a driver off-limits if I see him/her driving like a maniac.

When I was a young teen, I had a list of kids I was not allowed to ride with made by my dad who usually left all the rules and such to my mom. It used to really annoy and embarrass me that I couldn't ride with an older teen whom I had known all my life. We were in the country, and he used to make spending $ helping my dad with farmwork. My dad liked him a lot but said he was a bad driver and I wasn't getting in a car with him. He ultimately wrecked and killed himself and the guy who was with him.

 

[Melissa M]

My mom let me when I was 14 and a freshman in high school. That way I could get rides to school and color guard practice.

We have the exact same situation. DD14 is a freshman and in color guard. She will catch rides home with responsible drivers. She makes her own rules about who she'll ride with. She absolutely refuses to drive with a crazy driver. If she can't find a dependable ride, she'll wait for me.

 

[nordkin]

The rule in our house was the driver had to have their license for 1 year without tickets or accidents and we had to talk to their parents first. This really didn't come up until my children were old enough to drive because we were the taxi until then. Once they got their license the same rules applied to passengers, none until they had their license a year with no tickets or accidents.

 

[BibbidiBobbidiBOO]

We are coming up on this at my house. DS is 15 1/2 and has friends that are turning 16 soon. We told him just because someone has a license does not mean he can ride with them. He agrees and understands. It will be a case by case decision. He will also not have anyone in the truck (he will get DH's vehicle) until he has driven safely for a year. Not even sure if I want younger DD in there with him for awhile.

We can check anyone's name online through the county database and see if they have tickets and what they are for. I plan to utilize that!

 

[ozarkmom]

It's on a case by case basis. For example when oldest DS was 14 he rode with his best friends 17 yr. old brother to practices and a few other things. We knew this kid well and didn't have a problem with him. When DD was 15 we let her ride with an older neighbor to school. It just depends on the kid and the situation. Around here kids are driving on farms and rural roads as soon as their feet can touch the pedals. If your going to go anywhere your going to have to drive. No mass transit!

 

[powellrj]

we just go case by case. It depends on the kids and where they are going and what they are doing.