17 year old not passed test - took my car out at 1am in the morning

[ThisBlueQuail]

My 17 year old son who has had 2 driving lessons took my car out at 1am in the morning - would you stop driving lessons?

You can shove your insulting comment about people ‘flapping their aprons’ up your arse.

there will be people reading this thread who have lost friends and family members to uninsured, unlicensed, drunk etc. drivers

What a cretinous twat.

Not when he realised that what he was doing was a criminal offence?

Also, you’ve no idea whether he will do it again. He only fessed up because he literally couldn’t park the car and realised he’d be caught. Next time he’ll be more careful.

whqt he’s done is worse than, more dangerous than, drink or drug driving/. How dare you minimise that

After the update, I would go to the police. He is dangerously stupid.

Absolutely I would stop the lessons. He can learn to be responsible and trustworthy by getting himself a job and paying for lessons himself. This will hopefully create enough time by having to earn his own money to pay for them and he matures in that time. I’d also hide my car keys and make him walk or get public transport. This is serious. He TWOC’d your car which is a crime, he can’t drive which is a crime and potentially could have killed someone or himself. Strong consequences needed here.

Why though? Especially the bit about the dual carriageway. He's very lucky he didn't kill someone or crash the car. Are you sure he was even alone or was he with mates? Had he been drinking or taken anything? What's to stop him from doing it again? Driving lessons are the least of his worries with his judgement being so poor.

I would stop lessons and confiscate his license for a little while. Going on the dual carriageway is sheer idiocy. Yes he could’ve hit a pedestrian or another car, he could also have crashed into a stationary object, injured himself, or written off the car. They didn’t happen that night but it could’ve taken a split second bad decision on another night. His comment about the parking shows he doesn’t really understand the risk and isn’t mature enough to drive. I’d also hide my keys every night. If he wants to act like a liability then he will be treated like one until he can show remorse and maturity

Do you think he'd been drinking / taking drugs? It seems so bizarre. I understand teenagers can be impulsive risk takers but even so.

Once a bit of time passes and you get beyond this bit of stupid behaviour, are you able to take him out when the roads are quiet (like 1am / 5am) for some practice?

I'm not sure why any 17 year old needs to drive. They are mostly way too immature. I'd say learn to drive at 25 unless you can prove you absolutely need a car for work. I know plenty of people young and old that can't drive and have never driven.

The literal punishment for the crime if the police had picked him up would have been at least 6 points for no insurance (probably more), which would be an effective driving ban for 3 years. So no more driving lessons would have been the punishment from the courts.

Yes.

What a stupid thing to do!

You don't need to report him as such to the Police. Perhaps they or road safety organisations have some videos that could be downloaded. Programmes like Police Interceptors often feature the aftermath of accidents involving under age/unqualified drivers .

Stats show this is unlikely to end well. However, if he won't behave responsibly then you u must hide your keys and take his licence off him.

A lot of people are very dangerous on bikes or mopeds. Crashing into people, making them break a bone can effectively kill them (look at the stats for someone having hip ops after a certain age, especially if they've no family to help them). You might say they're safer than cars, but most of the people riding bikes are far more careless than most people behind a wheel, because they think nothing will happen if they hurt someone.
So I don't know that this person should be given a bike or moped-maybe in his case, lessons with a proper instructor would be safer (and not being allowed in the car by himself once he passes-not until he grows up).

I wouldn’t just stop the lessons I would be selling the car. What a stupid thing to do he could of killed someone.

Yes and get a key safe x

Respectfully, this is total nonsense.

the number of people killed every year by being hit by a bike is in the low single figures (source: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2024-04-18/HL3950/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

the number of people killed by being hit by cars is over 100 times greater: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/reported-road-casualties-great-britain-pedestrian-factsheet-2024/reported-road-casualties-in-great-britain-pedestrian-factsheet-2024?utm_source=chatgpt.com, and that's before you factor in multi-vehicle accidents.

Please, please engage your brain before posting such total bobbins on such a serious subject

It’s not his car!

Report him to the police. No more lessons until he’s not expecting you to pay for them. Change driving instructor because clearly they’re doing an awful job!

I agree with amberline. He's been an idiot but hopefully will mature and realise what a fool he's been. Let him have his lessons.

Where’s the punishment and deterrent? Why won’t he just take the car out the next time he feels like it?!

So I don't know that this person should be given a bike or moped

Oh I don't think he should be given a bike or moped. I think he can buy one himself from savings or earnings if he wants some means of getting around.

I agree boys/young men on mopeds or motorbikes are often a danger to themselves and others.

How is it the driving instructors fault, he's only had him for two lessons! It's chronic arrogance on the part of the OPs son that's the problem. Parents need to stop lying in bed whilst their sons are dicking around in cars at silly o clock.

The legal punishment for TWOC is community service, or in some cases, prison.

The reality then is that, at 17, you're basically insurable for the foreseeable.

There's no way this simpleton arsehole should be anywhere near driving a car.

Give me strength.

Get a steering wheel lock for your car, hide key separately to your car keys and cancel any notion of driving until he’s more responsible.