Your kids want a car! WHAT to do??

Okay guys/gals this is been going on most of the summer. I'm trying to have a reasonable plan. Never been in this situation before so I figured I would ask the hoarders!!
What I am thinking..
Liz is 14.5 yo, she wants to start driving she can get a permit at 15 license at 16, in this state.
I want her to have the car she's going to be driving to be the one that she gets all over hours and training on with her permit.
Most teenagers will have an accident. Where we live, vehicles are more or less a necessity.
Therefore, my plan is we talk to her and she doesn't get a Christmas or birthday. But she gets $1,800 from us towards the purchase of her car. If she goes over, that money is up to her.
The rules must be a manual transmission. Must haves at least a 4 star crash rating.
Manual transmission is because I've been watching her drive on our yard and the farmers work roads. She does far better focusing/ paying attention when she has to think about shifting gears. Plus better in snow and everyone should know how.
$1800 is because you can get a decent car up here for that price and I don't want her driving the death boxes that I did. Plus we only have two cars mine and the wife's, And I don't want kid wrecking ours.
We help with insurance until speeding ticket if and only if she is on honor roll and sports etc..

What do you think? What am I missing?

 

I dunno about VT but here in NH most kids go thru drivers ed, either thru the high school or private lessons that cost a few hundred dollars. I think you get a break on insurance if they've had drivers ed. The classes are in high demand and older students get in before the younger ones. Provides a limiting factor on how soon they can get a license. Call the school and ask what the procedure is. You may find out you don't have to worry about it for another year.
As far as a car goes, a used manual Volvo. Should be a fair number in northern VT, you would think. Good thing about a manual is, none of her friends will be able to drive it.

 

Everyone should know how to drive one but I think you are right. Not a lot of kids starting out know how. Here in our province, you don't get your learners permit until 16 and even when you get your licence, there are restrictions on it for two years. Insurance is high on new drivers especially under the age of 25.

I think you are being rather generous and I agree with the conditions you are thinking of. Look into driving school. Here the tuition is income tax deductible for the person who pays the tuition and there are credits given towards graduation for completing it.

 

Be aware that if you jointly own the car with her, or on the same insurance policy, any accident victim can and will go after you, even it you were not involved.

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In the same boat. My daughter turns 15 in 12 days.

 

Very generous. I had to pay for my first truck and I valued it a lot more than my friends/classmates who were given one. My 6 and 8 year old already know they have to work and save if they want a car.

 

jrider yes I had to buy my first car to. And I saved for it for 5 years. I still have it in the garage, even though I haven't driven it and it isn't inspected for the last 10 years. But I grew up in a city where you could push mow lawns and deliver newspapers. She does do babysitting and throwing hay bales. But most of that work is for non profits.

 

Backwoods Savage if I need to be corrected you're the man to do it!! You've earned the right

Most teenagers will have an accident is a statistic. I pulled the 16 to 18 year old driving records in the state 70% have a mild fender bender.. Usually speed or snow related..
I hear you about staying positive, those comments were to suggest the consequences for irresponsible choices.. I expect her to make wise choices and protect her driving PRIVILEGE.. cause it is a privilege.

 

Woodwidow and Midwinter .. yes I'm learning. The driver's ed class in the school she is already signed up for a year-and-a-half out.
State law says you need 40 hours of drive time to get a license. The class gives you 7.5 and you need to get the rest. For my daughter to get a license, she will probably have 200 hours of drive time. As a teenager, a parent has to sign permission. So I get to set my minimums.

 

MAD777 .. Good point will talk to my insurance agent!!

 

WOW We must have really been mean to our two boys. They did not have a car when they were in high school. They both wanted to go to college. We gave them the option of us buying them a car after high school or paying for 4 years at a state college. They both opted for us paying for college. We took them car shopping when they were halfway thru their senior year at college, thinking they would need a car so they could start job hunting. They had saved up money for a car and we kicked in a little bit if they were a bit short. We also paid for the first 6 months of insurance. They had total responsibility for operating costs and insurance after the first 6 months. Both of them went to a school a good two hours away from home so coming home on weekends wasn't going to happen . They did their own laundry and had to be responsible for all aspects of day to day living. They are now in their 40's and doing well.

 

Good hints Chvymn99.. My driveway is 1/4 mile.. Woodpiles are good 250 yards from wood deck. She takes my car drives to Woodpiles fills trunk. Drives to deck unload. Also with tractor. Parallel parking lessons at wood racks..

 

Both of my girls used part of their 4H pig/calf/goat money to buy their first trucks. Youngest daughter told me her senior year that she was embarrassed by her truck until she realized no one else actually owned their vehicle. She earned, bought and paid for it. Life lessons. You are on the right track, you are worrying and talking to her. Some parents don't do that. Also, there are circumstances (I dislike zero tolerance rules) like a speeding ticket, don't make it black and white. We used to have a cop that laid in wait for young drivers. A dad drove his daughter's car, got pulled over and the cop stuttered and stammered when he realized it wasn't the girl driving. My oldest got a speeding ticket on the way to work (she worked at the feed store) guy behind her tells me another day he was catching up to her, must have been him on the radar. So, things do happen.

 

She helped stack them.. she's not going to knock them over

 

iirc, the statistic is an accident or a close call for every driver within one year.
I know I got lucky and I had a close call. Very close call. You get sloppy. I went then looked.