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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To Pay £850 for dsd's second accident this year

156 replies

taxiforme · 03/11/2016 10:12

Dsd 19 passed her test recently.Took 4 goes to get it. She was bought a car (not new, 09 plate) with money that dh and ex had put by for all kids for uni- but she is doing college and apprenticeship later instead. She doesn't need a car imho as we live in a large commuter village with great links. The deal is, that she has to insure, tax, repair and fuel it.

Day after her test she backed into someone's brand new car. Cosmetic damage to her bumper, other car came off worse. Last week told by her mum not a great idea to drive to this particular shop at rush hour as it's off a major motorway and she would have to negotiate a 5 lane off motorway roundabout. Advice ignored, she went with her friend. We understand possibly panicked and got into the wrong lane, then through a red light and hit the broadside of another car. It's an insurance job. Her excess is £850. She and her friend (and the other driver) were fine, just shaken.

She also had to have a new expensive part fitted (before the accident) her mum paid for -£250.

Cut to last night. Dh asks me what are we going to do about the insurance bill? I say it's her problem as per the agreement. She doesn't have £850...he says. She works pt for a vairy naice supermarket, so she will just have to do extra shifts in the lead up to Xmas, says I.

We agreed to have a chat with her (she usually lives at her mums but popped up. We also wanted to make sure she was ok, too). She comes in and starts on her birthday party plans... Hmmdh waffles about focus..Envy...she starts looking at her phone, then doing her nails..and when I actually mention "where are you going to get the £850 to pay for the car?" ....shrug.....

When a plan is put about us paying and her setting up a direct debit for £200 per month ...by doing extra shifts the response is "what about my social life..??!!!"

I was mad..if she had, realising the cost of the repairs, got herself up and made arrangements to work extra shifts to try and make things good I would have been happy to give her the money, shit happens to kids.

Also...

She is going on a very expensive college trip early next year (NY) her gran has given her some of the money and it looks like her mum is lending her the rest.

When she left I was Angry. At the shrug, the loss of social life comment, that she didn't even have the manners to listen when we weren't talking about her birthday.

Dh and I are now at loggerheads. He seems to think we have no choice but to pay for her. I disagree, she can use the bus ect. It does not get repaired until she can pay. To me, there appears no commitment by her to paying it back. In any event, I doubt the renewal will be affordable when it comes next year...

Husband waffling about focus to her...aibu to say focus on this - tough shit..you are an adult and adults have to go without a social life to pay the bills.

OP posts:
Richardhun · 03/11/2016 15:07

I wouldn't bail her out, her attitude is terrible.

You made a deal and she has to stick to it, if my parents had offered to pay and let me repay in instalments I would have been very greatful.

She sounds spoilt. My biggest concern would be her killing herself or someone else.

NoBetterName · 03/11/2016 15:12

Or pay for her to do a motorcycle licence. If she experiences the road from the perspective of not being cocooned in a protective metal cage surrounded by air-bags and other safety devices, it might teach her to have some respect for care, safety and correct observations on the road. It would also show her how dangerous (potentially lethal) her driving is for more vulnerable road users.

A driving licence is a privilege not a right.

toptoe · 03/11/2016 15:14

Don't bail her out.

She is not ready for a car because: a. she is not mature enough to drive it judging by her accidents b. she is not mature enough to fork out money to repair it. That is not a slight on her age, it is just a fact. She's 19. Her priorities are different and she hasn't had the life experience she needs to cope with the car.

expatinscotland · 03/11/2016 15:24

'Your DSD is certainly looking at a driver/speed awareness course as well as a possible court appearance. She cannot and must not be at all bailed out by anyone here.'

Because she only needs 6 points to lose her license, let's hope there's a way to get them to her.

She doesn't need anyone to bail her out or pay for more of anything car-related for her. She needs to be off the road for a while until she takes it more seriously before she kills someone.

nonline · 03/11/2016 15:47

I think she was very lucky to even get the car initially if it's not essential to get around where you live.

Her entitled attitude aside, I'd be unwilling to fund an expensive return to driving when she obviously needs some more practice first. How about a condition that she passes a Pass Plus test first?

SoupDragon · 03/11/2016 15:50

Or pay for her to do a motorcycle licence. If she experiences the road from the perspective of not being cocooned in a protective metal cage surrounded by air-bags and other safety devices, it might teach her to have some respect for care, safety and correct observations on the road. It would also show her how dangerous (potentially lethal) her driving is for more vulnerable road users

Or, given her apparent poor road sense, it might kill her!

ChazsBrilliantAttitude · 03/11/2016 16:01

I would make it clear to your DH that if his DD continues to drive with the attitude she is showing his next visit to one of her accidents could be his worst nightmare come true. This isn't about money per se, it is about driving being a potentially dangerous activity which she needs to take far more seriously before something awful happens. If money is the only way to get her to take more responsibility so be it. It is really important he doesn't minimise this or just bail her out - she needs to learn now before something much worse happens.

Andro · 03/11/2016 16:03

Or pay for her to do a motorcycle licence.

Good lord NO!!!. A person who lacks judgement, focus and road sense (any common sense?) in a car, would be a funeral waiting to happen on a motorcycle. There are enough dodgy bikers out there as it is, we don't need more giving us an even worse reputation (I drive and ride).

NoBetterName · 03/11/2016 23:03

Andro, exactly, she might be rather more careful when she realises what's at stake if she has a collision. Too many drivers consider a collision to be unavoidable little prangs which result in an inconvenient trip to the garage. They'd maybe consider differently (and drive more safely and carefully) if the stakes were higher and the "little mistake" of other road users could cost them their life. There's a lot who argue you shouldn't have a car licence unless you've ridden for at least a year before. It's a similar argument to the one which says if you want to get people to drive safer on the roads, put less safety features in the car, not more. Most people will inherently accept a certain level of risk for activities, so if you increase safety features, they increase the amount of risk they take until they effectively compensate. There's been a lot of studies on the psychology of it.

I also ride and drive too and I'd be all for all drivers passing a bike test before they are allowed behind the wheel of a car.

NoBetterName · 03/11/2016 23:05

and in a car, my point is that she's someone else's funeral waiting to happen.

Andro · 03/11/2016 23:32

NoBetterName - I agree that many drivers would be better behind the wheel with some motorbike experience behind them, but someone proven to be a hazard? She needs removing from the road for everyone's safety... including her own!

NoBetterName · 03/11/2016 23:37

I agree. It was a suggestion made mostly in jest, with a touch of truth in there. I think drivers like this do need to see the road from the perspective of more vulnerable road users and being more vulnerable might knock some sense into her!

Andro · 04/11/2016 00:03

I think drivers like this do need to see the road from the perspective of more vulnerable road users

Couldn't agree more!

HappenedForAReisling · 04/11/2016 01:12

Not much to learn if they're killed by someone in a car.

I hope to god that never comes to fruition. I don't like motorbikes that much. I go on the back of DH's but I'm not that comfortable on it and I would not be a good operator of a motorbike myself. I've been driving for nearly 30 years on some very dangerous foreign roads and happily switch between left and right hand drive without issue. I think I'm a pretty decent, safe and attentive driver, and I managed that without being forced to ride a motorbike.

Where I live youngsters have to have their L plate for a minimum for one year before they're allowed to take their test. While they are a learner they're only allowed one passenger in the car apart from the supervisor. Once they pass their test they get a novice plate which they hold for two years (18 months if they take lessons and pass with an approved school)and with this there's zero tolerance to alcohol, electronics and restrictions on who they can have as passengers.
After the 18 months or two years is up they have to take another test to get their full licence. I'm happier my DD is going through this than being forced to ride on two wheels.

maggiecate · 04/11/2016 01:50

I would suspect that since she's caused an accident the police will put it down as careless driving, and she'll either get points and a fine or have the option to go on a course that will cost her about £150.

As to the high excess/premium - it's not just the cost of fixing the young person's old banger that the insurance companies are worried about, it's the cost of fixing whatever they drive into.

Thattimeofyearagain · 04/11/2016 07:09

A 19 yr old ran into the back of a cat that I and my dc were in a week after he took his test. Driver & I both injured, I was off work for a month. We were stopped at lights and he was showing his friend something and not looking at the road. If anyone had been on the crossing we would have been shunted into them. Does dad have any idea of how easy it is to maim/ injure/ kill with a car ?

Thattimeofyearagain · 04/11/2016 07:10

*dsd

HicDraconis · 04/11/2016 08:03

It's often not the young, thoughtless, "just didn't see you" driver that I have to spend time and energy patching up.

It's the child they cannoned into. Or the elderly person they sideswiped because they couldn't quite judge the distance. It's the young family in the car next door who end up injured, or worse.

I have had to physically restrain people who learn how severely injured - or dead - their child is, because a new young driver panicked behind the wheel.

Get her off the roads. Now. Let her back on when she's done an advanced driving course. Before she doesn't have to worry about her social life, because she's been jailed for causing death by dangerous driving.

NoBetterName · 04/11/2016 08:06

maggiecate, she didn't cause an "accident" she caused a collision. An accident suggests it was unavoidable. There's a massive difference in the two terminologies and there was nothing accidental about it. She made a mistake on the road, it caused a collision. If she doesn't take it seriously next time she might make a mistake on the road and kill someone.

PikachuSayBoo · 04/11/2016 08:07

Hang on. She used money you'd put aside for all the kids unis to buy herself a car? Who gave her the money to use on a car?

I would make her sell the car, pay the excess off and any extra money goes back in the uni fund.

teachergirl2011 · 04/11/2016 08:16

The car should stay off the road until she pays. If you bail her out she will not learn. There are consequences for her actions and she seems reluctant to compromise.

Eevee77 · 04/11/2016 10:42

Pikachu she's isn't going to uni.

I doubt she'll have her lisence much longer at this rate

Yakitori · 04/11/2016 10:49

She sounds like an absolute disaster waiting to happen behind the wheel. I would think it best if she gets rid of the car for a while and has some advanced driving lessons.

I passed my test at 17 but wasn't a very good driver until my 20s. I was never dangerous though, just a bit nervous.

Yakitori · 04/11/2016 10:51

I'm surprised she hasn't lost her licence for careless or dangerous driving, TBH.

dentydown · 04/11/2016 11:08

Could it be something like she needs to drive an automatic? She's having all these accidents, if she just puts it in D and concentrates on steering and the road rather than gear change?
I wonder if she needs follow up lessons on how to judge distances/how to drive.

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