Good idea? (or not?)

[65mph_Roll]

My daughter gets her license in a few months. I’ve successfully got a son driving for a few years now, no major mishaps. I’m seriously considering taking the damn fuses out of the car stereo for the first few months because I do think it’s a fact that teenage drivers think Priority #1, tunes…Priority #2, driving.

Eventually, yes, they will have to do both. I'm just thinking the first few months, no stereo.

 

[thepizz]

I'd take away her phone before the stereo. Teenage girls love texting while driving. I see it all the time.

 

[Iceman II]

This sounds like a good idea to me as well as the phone. I was up in Marble Falls, off duty, and was sitting at a traffic light. I'm watching this tinni bopper looking down, she's texting in her brand new mustang.
The light turns green, everyone takes off. The lead car makes a last minute right turn, second car slams on the brakes, mustang does not! Boom! Texting!!

 

[FordSVTFan]

Off to Roadside for better response.

 

[Fuerza]

I'd take away her phone before the stereo. Teenage girls love texting while driving. I see it all the time.

Both!

 

[THE_STIG]

Definitely phone first, stereo second.

 

[Stinger2011]

Sounds like a good idea to me, except for the fact that she might get bored faster and text friends.

 

[truebluedevil02]

take the phone and ban friends from riding with her. friends will be more distracting than anything.

 

[Leedog]

Put it on her favorite station with a reasonable volume, and remove the buttons. Seems like a middle ground to me.

 

[Relaxed Chaos]

I've heard of parents writing up and signing contracts with their kids concerning driving behaviors that are acceptable and those that are not. I've got two years to figure this out but a contract will be part of the deal if they want to drive dad's cars. "In addition, definitely need to figure out how to de-tune the WRX for the first year.

 

[thomas91169]

Lol i bet OP did just the same when he got his license. If you dont trust them making the right decisions why let them drive in the first place? They all have to learn what happens when you dont pay attention, whether its the easy way or hard way. Trying to remove "distractions" like the stereo is a bandaid fix to a bigger issue, which sounds like trust to me.

 

[Beerdog80]

Lol i bet OP did just the same when he got his license. If you dont trust them making the right decisions why let them drive in the first place? They all have to learn what happens when you dont pay attention, whether its the easy way or hard way. Trying to remove "distractions" like the stereo is a bandaid fix to a bigger issue, which sounds like trust to me.

I bet the OP didn't text or talk on a phone while driving when he got his first car. :nonono:

Letting them live life and learn from mistakes is one thing. It's another thing entirely to let a generation of kids who have been handed everything and appreciate nothing get behind the wheel of a car without certain and specific rules to protect themselves and others.

Not saying OP's daughter is that generation but I bet you she has plenty of friends who are. My first car only had a drivers seat for the first 2 months and I couldn't drive anywhere but the exact distance between my house and school without permission.

 

[fiveohhhstang]

Like others have said, I think there are other distractions that are a bit more serious. I don't remember ever playing with my radio while I was driving. I don't think taking away her cell phone is the best idea, in case she needs to call you. Perhaps cutting texting from her phone plan would be a good idea.

 

[canibus]

or you could not give her the car altogether

 

[Boomer182]

Phone before stereo. Just my .02

 

[65mph_Roll]

Thanks everyone – cell phone point well taken.
It does come down to trust, but minimizing distractions for a while I think is a good idea. Can’t do it forever, obviously.

 

[Boomer182]

For me at 16 my phone and stereo where my worst enemy. But in todays world, I would say the phone, due to the texting nature of our teens. I just made calls, and texting was not what it is now.

 

[boatcop1]

I bet the OP didn't text or talk on a phone while driving when he got his first car. :nonono:

Letting them live life and learn from mistakes is one thing. It's another thing entirely to let a generation of kids who have been handed everything and appreciate nothing get behind the wheel of a car without certain and specific rules to protect themselves and others.

Not saying OP's daughter is that generation but I bet you she has plenty of friends who are. My first car only had a drivers seat for the first 2 months and I couldn't drive anywhere but the exact distance between my house and school without permission.

This!

Problem is we have to guide them and trust them and hope they make the right decisions. My daughter got her license in Dec and so far so good. I cannot take her phone because of what I see others do. She hasn't given me any reason to second guess her. She has good grades, works hard, pays her bills (to me). I got mad at her the other day because it took her 15 min to text me back. Took her so long because she was driving, duhh dad!:rockon:

 

[01cobravortech]

Gimme a break. Have a little more faith in your kids instead of expecting the worst from them. How about you expect them to be a good driver and not get into an accident rather than expect them to get into an accident simply because they just started driving.

 

[Zlow28]

i was lucky enough to not have a car at 16. And when i turned 18, i would drive a 2 hour trip cross a mountain range and a city i had just moved in, i did pretty well with a stereo, and cell phone. However, i consider myself a responsible driver. You kinda just know who you can trust and who you cant.