Learning to drive is seen as a rite of passage for many teenagers and there are many advantages of learning when young. Our teenagers are sporty and independent so being able to drive themselves to training and fixtures was important to me.
I eagely looked forward to this important milestone as it would save me lots of time in my already busy week. It would also make getting to sixth form easier.
Buying a car is a big outlay and when we bought our 17 year old a car we were a little torn on what type to get. Both my husband and I drive quite new cars, we don’t want to have the inconvenience of older cars that may need more car maintenance than a newer car. However, we also had a budget in mind for her first car. We knew we would be buying a cheaper runaround, we also had the added expense of car insurance.
My top tip for insurance when learning to drive is to look at day insurance options, this can be useful when learning to drive as teenagers often don’t drive every day at this point. Booking cheap temporary car insurance is also brilliant when you want short term cover for a holiday or something similar.
Unfortunately, in hindsight, we should have spent a little more on the initial outlay. Chloe’s car needed work doing to it on a fairly regular basis and it wasn’t long until she upgraded the car.
The second time round with our son, we have spent more on the initial outlay, he car is much newer and whilst we have decided that if it gets a few dings then that can’t be helped. Our kids are very lucky to have been given cars but they both used their earning for their weekend jobs to be able to afford them. Driving lessons were paid for by them (the first 10 were birthday presents from grandparents). They are also responsible for petrol, tax and insurance.
We all know that car insurance is very expensive for teenagers but by having the insurance in their name and having their own cars it will start building their own insurance history and the price will come down next year.
When your teen is driving and has passed their test I feel it is important to teach them some basic maintenance and car safety. I remember the first time they went to the petrol station and wasn’t sure which fuel to use!
Since then we have taught our teenagers these basic maintence skills should anything happen.
Car Maintenance Tips For Teenagers
- They know how to check her oil and water levels.
- Knowing how to check your tyre pressure is a basic need especially for older cars.
- Teenagers should also know what to do in the case of a Flat tyre. We have roadside cover to help in this type of situation and they know how to contact them and stay safe in the meantime.
- Chloe did have a teething problem with her brakes sticking and she was really calm and knew to get the car off the main road and then call me. When I went to find her and her brother I was really pleased to see that they were out of the car and stood waiting for me in a safe place.
- Having basics in the car boot is always important. A warm coat and blanket is essential as you never know when it might rain and you are stuck in traffic and get cold etc. The same with having a bottle of water to drink. Plus pen and paper if ever you are in an accident and need to take details down. You could also take photos with your smartphone as they could be useful.
By knowing some basic car maintenance your teen will feel more in control and learn how to respond to different situations.
