Originally Posted By: GMBoy
The kid who took your loved one could have done that in an Escort just as well.
Unfortunately, in my case, this isn't true. The type of car was absolutely relevant, as it gave the young driver an inflated sense of confidence. He thought he had the power and speed to clear the intersection before my father-in-law approached. He didn't. Sand does a terrible thing to RWD traction, but the driver was too young and too inexperienced to realize that the pavement wasn't clean. Would he have tried it in an Escort? I very highly doubt it. Even if he had, his front wheels would have been clear of the sand and he probably would have cleared my father-in-law's path.
I fully agree that responsibility levels differ between 16 year-olds as they do in adults. From all accounts, the child that killed my father-in-law was a very responsible, "church-going" kid, whatever that means. Yet, just one moment of irresponsibility has forever changed many lives, including his own.
The question is - do you stack the deck in favor of your child or against them?
In my opinion, the best car for a new driver, and what we plan to do for our son in 12 years, is do exactly what my Dad did for me: He handed me down the keys to his old station wagon, a four cylinder, four speed, with 104k on it. Keep in mind, this was in an era where 70k was the end of the road for American cars. It was a worthless piece of slow junk. I had to work on that piece of junk every other weekend to keep it on the road. The skills I learned fixing that piece of junk have benefited me enormously throughout my life and career.
thanks much,
ben
The kid who took your loved one could have done that in an Escort just as well.
Unfortunately, in my case, this isn't true. The type of car was absolutely relevant, as it gave the young driver an inflated sense of confidence. He thought he had the power and speed to clear the intersection before my father-in-law approached. He didn't. Sand does a terrible thing to RWD traction, but the driver was too young and too inexperienced to realize that the pavement wasn't clean. Would he have tried it in an Escort? I very highly doubt it. Even if he had, his front wheels would have been clear of the sand and he probably would have cleared my father-in-law's path.
I fully agree that responsibility levels differ between 16 year-olds as they do in adults. From all accounts, the child that killed my father-in-law was a very responsible, "church-going" kid, whatever that means. Yet, just one moment of irresponsibility has forever changed many lives, including his own.
The question is - do you stack the deck in favor of your child or against them?
In my opinion, the best car for a new driver, and what we plan to do for our son in 12 years, is do exactly what my Dad did for me: He handed me down the keys to his old station wagon, a four cylinder, four speed, with 104k on it. Keep in mind, this was in an era where 70k was the end of the road for American cars. It was a worthless piece of slow junk. I had to work on that piece of junk every other weekend to keep it on the road. The skills I learned fixing that piece of junk have benefited me enormously throughout my life and career.
thanks much,
ben
