Kids First Car?

[Alan W.]

This talk of the drivers test and what MossRoad said about it depends on who you get, reminded me of my class A drivers test.
My appointment was for late afternoon on a Fri. 15 minutes past my appointment time and the Troopers had not showed up. Just when we were getting ready to leave two cruisers came rushing in, the trooper got out took my papers and quickly started the first part of the test. He was rushing through it and I said to myself he is just trying to make up time for being late. After an very abbreviated pre trip and manuevers we headed out for the road course. Pulled out onto the main highway, never got out of the low side when he said turn here. I knew this wasnt the course and that we were going back to the staging area. We pulled back into the parking lot and just as I was about to ask him what his problem was he stuck out his hand and said congratulations you passed, jumped out of the truck and left. My buddy came up to get in the truck and asked me why I failed. When I told him I passed he said it all made sense. The other trooper had been talking to him while I was testing and told him that the trooper with me was recently divorced and had his first hot date lined up. Thats why they were late and he was in a hurry. Aint lust great

 

[Howling]

All three on my kids went to same driving school. They have skid pan. Cover with water. Kid up to speed pull parking brake to make car spin and have kid recover. Kids experience and learn before they have to respond on snowy roads. My youngest was the gas peddle to the floor. Enjoyed the spin. Then 'can I go again?'

My road test, decades ago, was creeping out of RMV past parked truck saw traffic coming. Stomped gas to missed traffic (chirped the tires). 3 point turn on hill curve. back to RMV and got license.

Between me and kids MA changed law so can get license with driver ed at 16-1/2 or without at 18 years old.

 

[Jstpssng]

^^^^^
That skid training sounds like time well spent. I remember the first time that I ever drove on snow; I had to make a flower delivery with our '66 Ford Fairlane. I was scared of crashing so on the hill 1/2 mile after leaving the flower shop I shifted down into D2 to take advantage of the engine braking. I still wanted to slow down so shifted into D1; which caused me to do a 180 in the road, slamming into the snowbank backwards. The momentum of the spin kept the front end sliding which pulled me back out of the snowbank, and I found myself headed in my original direction so hit the starter I continued on my way.

 

[ultrarunner]

Remember the first time I hit a patch of ice on State Route 50...

The Olds Cutlass did a 360 and came to rest... no damage... considered my self very luck... I was going slow and careful...

The next day in the newspaper the headline said road closed after numerous spin outs... several cars collided or hit the guard rail.

Looking back I was REALLY lucky.

California driving test had nothing in it about snow/ice back in the day.

My brother shows up on his birthday for his driving test in the 68 Mustang we restored... all back to stock and showroom new... even printed a window sticker... the driving test person was so enamored by the car she commented if you restored this car you will pass 100%.... and he did.

 

[MossRoad]

This talk of the drivers test and what MossRoad said about it depends on who you get, reminded me of my class A drivers test.
My appointment was for late afternoon on a Fri. 15 minutes past my appointment time and the Troopers had not showed up. Just when we were getting ready to leave two cruisers came rushing in, the trooper got out took my papers and quickly started the first part of the test. He was rushing through it and I said to myself he is just trying to make up time for being late. After an very abbreviated pre trip and manuevers we headed out for the road course. Pulled out onto the main highway, never got out of the low side when he said turn here. I knew this wasnt the course and that we were going back to the staging area. We pulled back into the parking lot and just as I was about to ask him what his problem was he stuck out his hand and said congratulations you passed, jumped out of the truck and left. My buddy came up to get in the truck and asked me why I failed. When I told him I passed he said it all made sense. The other trooper had been talking to him while I was testing and told him that the trooper with me was recently divorced and had his first hot date lined up. Thats why they were late and he was in a hurry. Aint lust great

Love triumphs again! :laughing:

 

[MossRoad]

My mom and dad did it for me, and I did it for my girls.... we went out to snowy parking lots and did donut after donut, slide after slide, brake lock after brake lock. Loose control many times. Several nights a week all winter long. Just plain fun and great experience in how to control a car on snow and ice.

Modern twist.... I'd take the kids out and it was actually hard to lose control. So after many tries and them thinking they had it down, I turned off the traction control! :laughing: Opens their eyes as to how the car actually saves their bacon without them knowing.

Oldest had a close call with a semi-lost control and the car straightened itself out with stability and traction controls. She was quit shook up but knew those features probably saved her from harm.

 

[Jstpssng]

Every weekend for several years up on Moosehead Lake in Maine they had ice races, then in the summer they had an oval dirt track. They stopped holding them before I made it up to watch though. They allowed kids as young as 13 to drive in them, and one of the reasons cited was that it was a good way to teach them to drive on ice.