Teaching Your Kids to Drive

I’ve been letting my 15 y/o daughter drive my car at a local cemetery.

She won’t be old enough for a learner’s permit until April and I’m wondering what would happen if she hit something or encountered a police officer.

It’s private property so a least she’s not on a public road…could the DMV not let her get a license at 16 or have points waiting to go on her license when she got it...what could happen to me?

Thank you in advance for any guidance.

May I assume that you are with her in the car?  On private property, I would think the first priority would be to get the owner's permission.  With you in the car and on private property with the owner's permission, I'd think you're good.

Agreed.  I think on private property, with permission you're OK.  Don't go on public roads.  I don't know for sure what the penalty would be, but I'm guessing it would be bad...for both you and her.

I'm teaching my 15 year old son to drive now, but he's got his permit.  He's doing pretty well on the automatics.  Learning to drive stick is still, well, uh, a "work in progress".

Yes, I’m in the car with her.

I doubt the owner (big chain operation) would provide permission as there’s no benefit to them and they’d be exposing themselves to possible liability.

RX Reven' said:

I’ve been letting my 15 y/o daughter drive my car at a local cemetery.

At least you know she probably won't kill anybody.

Johnboyjjb said:

RX Reven' said:

I’ve been letting my 15 y/o daughter drive my car at a local cemetery.

At least you know she probably won't kill anybody.

…and no resident has voiced a complaint yet.  #fingers crossed

Car from the movie "Harold and Maude" just for E36 M3's and Giggles..

I've always used school/church lots. 
As long as you're driving responsibly, nobody is going to bother you.
 

If you were to drive on a public road, and get caught, you'd be assessed points as if you had a license, and they'd get applied when you get one... at least that's how it worked 20+ years ago in Maryland when a friend of mine was caught multiple times driving before he had a license. 

RX Reven' said:

I doubt the owner (big chain operation) would provide permission as there’s no benefit to them and they’d be exposing themselves to possible liability.

Sorry for the thread jack, but I didn't know there was such a thing as a big chain cemetery operator.

In reply to dculberson :

Oh yeah, people are just dying to get in…they’re really burying the competition.

I’ll stop now.

The cemetery in the community where I grew up would make for a great autox course but I guess that would be inappropriate.

My kids have been driving go-karts since they were 8, and my oldest would drive my truck up and down the driveway when it snowed so he could slide it around, starting when he was about 12.  He's 16 now, has his license and is pretty good on a stick shift, and drives every day to school.  My youngest son is far less interested, but will back the car out of the garage from time to time, or drive up from the mailbox.

A long driveway may be a pain to shovel snow off of, but it's great for teaching kids to drive. 

I first drove Dads 59 CJ5 when I was 6.  I drove the grain truck, unloaded the combine, and used the auger to load the grain bin when I was 9.

I'm guessing there would be a bunch of child services types involved in my life if this hadn't happened in the 60's.

You are doing the right thing, but if you get a humorless cop, it will cost money.

rustybugkiller said:

The cemetery in the community where I grew up would make for a great autox course but I guess that would be inappropriate.

Seems like a potential business opportunity.

RX Reven' said:

In reply to dculberson :

Oh yeah, people are just dying to get in…they’re really burying the competition.

I’ll stop now.

I usually point out how big the cemetery is and all the tombstones then drop the "you know how many dead people are buried there" question? 

All of them.  

My buddy owned a fence business and he would question why is there a fence around the cemetery? (Your first line is the answer)