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Teenagers

Parenting teenagers has its ups and downs. Get advice from Mumsnetters here.

Original poster

Learning to drive at 17?

72 replies

lunas · 10/03/2014 14:06

Is it commonplace now to give driving lessons, provisional licence etc for their 17th birthday when they are students? My DD says all her friends are learning but I didn't start til I had a job, neither did my DH. It's expensive, especially the insurance even as a named driver.

OP posts:
iklboo · 10/03/2014 17:16

Quite a lot of DS's pupils get bought a block of lessons for their 17th birthday - most patents want to book a lesson for the birthday date itself if they can.

iklboo · 10/03/2014 17:16

*parents, not patents Blush

hellsbells99 · 10/03/2014 17:18

My DD has had lessons as her 17th birthday present. Another one that lives in an area with poor public transport.
I also think it is an essential life skill - and she will probably need to be able to drive for her chosen career.

GreenShadow · 10/03/2014 17:20

We have chosen to live in the country where there are few buses. Therefore we see driving lessons as something that will benefit not only the DC, but ourselves (less ferrying them around).

Floralnomad · 10/03/2014 17:22

I think its easier to learn when you are younger ,my DS wasn't that bothered TBH but it has turned out to be useful for him .

VivaLeBeaver · 10/03/2014 17:26

Ill definitely pay for lessons for dd for her 17th even if we couldn't afford insurance for her. Like others have said its an important life skill.

Otherwise it goes down the list of priorities of things to pay for. They're away at uni which is expensive so can't afford it. Then when they graduate they might limit their employment opportunities if they can't drive. When they're first working they might be spending all their money on rent, saving for a deposit. Then kids come along. Next thing you're 30 and can't drive.

ithaka · 10/03/2014 17:31

My DH is determined to get our DD a provisional licence and get her driving as soon as she turns 17.

His reasons are - it is easier to learn when you are at home with access to a car; he doesn't want her being driven by teenage boys, she is a cautious person and will be far safer driving herself; he wants her to have freedom and independence & not have to rely on other people; her safety is priceless, so he will buy her a car so she can always get home from anywhere safely.

Maybe we spoil her, but she means the world to us and is so good, hard working and responsible and she never asks for anything.

FreckledLeopard · 10/03/2014 17:35

I had my first lesson on my 17th birthday. It was commonplace at my school to learn at 17. Quite a few of the girls had a car bought for them for their 17th birthdays.

ilovepowerhoop · 10/03/2014 17:37

I got my provisional at 17 but was never put on the car insurance and never got to drive my parents' car.

LavenderGreen14 · 10/03/2014 17:41

We can afford the licence and the lessons and to insure for learning (£500 extra for the year) but once she passes her test the insurance is £2k plus, so sadly she will be able to drive but unable to afford to drive a car for some time.

NettoSuperstar · 10/03/2014 17:41

My parents paid for me to learn when I was 17, I didn'thave a car until I was 34 though!
I plan to put Dd through her test when she is 17, but only because I have a motability car so it won't cost anything to have her as a second driver on it.

Catsmamma · 10/03/2014 17:42

we have done this for the ds1 and dd...and will do so for ds2

we do live in the back of beyond though, ds1 worked all through the summer and bought his first car, dd is driving mine little one about and we shall see what happens when ds2 passes.

I really think it is one of those things you need to do asap, over and done with...it opens so many doors....pretty much same reasons as ithaka

MissBeehiving · 10/03/2014 17:47

I passed my test 20 days after my 17th birthday but lived very rurally - so no buses etc Most of my friends did the same.

Rhubarbcrumbled · 10/03/2014 17:51

My mum and dad paid for me to learn to drive at 17 including insurance and two tests as they saw it as part of my education. They drew the line at buying a car! It was the same for my DH and we intend to do the same for our boys. I don't understand why parents don't do it unless they're really skint, it's a pretty important life skill.

whoseturnisit · 10/03/2014 18:13

I think it depends where you live. In a city or town with good public transport it's probably not necessary.
Where we live it's very rural and all the DC learn asap.
Don't underestimate the cost of lessons and tests. The theory and practical both to be paid for and many take 2 or 3 attempts. It cost me I reckon, about £750 to get him through the test. He is insured as additional driver on my car which was about £800 with Direct Line.

ajandjjmum · 10/03/2014 19:13

Wow, MissBeehiving - thought I did well in 6 weeks 30+ years ago! DC both passed within a month of their 17th birthdays - the incentive being that we live miles away from their school, and they couldn't wait for a bit of independence. They've both had spells of not driving, and DS is now London based, so he only drives when he comes home - but it's a skill they will always have.

ohtowinthelottery · 10/03/2014 20:53

DS is learning now. Had his 1st lesson on his 17th birthday. We gave him some lessons as a birthday present and some more for Christmas. Once he's had those he will pay for the rest himself. We have just insured our small car for him to drive for a month so he can get some practice in - he has had 12 lessons with an instructor so far.

We will look at the cost of insurance once he has passed his test but for now just want him to get his full licence.

I have told him we won't be buying him a car though - in spite of him telling me constantly that "everyone else" got one for their 17th birthday.

sinningsaint · 11/03/2014 08:25

DD1 learnt at 17 and got a crappy 'hand me down car' off her cousin which insurance was only £500 on, DD2 is 17 in november and planning to learn (we are going to pay for her first 10 lessons for her birthday, maybe more for christmas) but there is no way she is getting a car unless she coughs up the money for the £2,800 insurance we have been quoted Shock I think it's popular because as others have said you need on average less lessons as a teen, and as having a job won't necessarily mean they can afford lessons for many there is no reason not to do it now.

LadyGardenersQuestionTime · 11/03/2014 08:45

Both mine got all the lessons they needed and a car for their 18th birthday but that was a lot to do with them being able to drive between me and xdh so I didn't have to put up with him waltzing into my house like he owned it, poking around in my desk while my back was tuned and making sarky comments about my life.

Well worth every ruinous penny! Ds still has the same little car 6 years on, dd sold hers back to us Hmm and it's our beloved runaround.

mrsjay · 11/03/2014 09:34

it is different for everybody it all depends what you want to do we did for our dd as I dont drive tried to learn later on and failed loads of times so we decided to give her the money to learn to drive it is all relative what you want to do,

mrsjay · 11/03/2014 09:35

we also got dd a run around when she was 18 but she paid to run it including insurance

LavenderGreen14 · 11/03/2014 09:54

Is everyone paying £2K plus to insure after the test has been passed? I can't find a cheaper quote, even as a named driver on my runaround, with a box, etc. Any tips? Seems such a shame, can afford to learn but once passed won't be able to drive as the cost of insurance is so prohibitive.

mrsjay · 11/03/2014 09:55

dd didnt pay that she couldnt afford that think her first insurance was 500

higgle · 11/03/2014 10:02

DS1 learned when he was 17, I think he had about 20 lessons and passed his test first time. We paid for his licence and the first lot of lessons for his birthday and as he had a weekend job we split the cost of the others 3 ways (me, DH, DS1). We always knew he would not be able to have his own car or drive ours because of the cost of insurance and now he is coming up 23 and has not driven since he passed his test.
This is good for him as he can have a couple of refresher lessons when he needs to drive and they can't take his licence away if he gets 6 points (?) He will also get a better deal on insurance.

DS2 didn't want to learn to drive at 17 and he is now nearly 20 and will be a bit stuck if his job after uni or his 3rd year placement involves or requires this. He does have a lovely girlfriend who drives him around but I feel he has made the wrong call on this one. ( And he has missed out on the financial contribution)

LavenderGreen14 · 11/03/2014 10:03

£500? How so cheap? That was after she passed her test? I can get it for £500 when on a provisional but once on full licence it goes up to £2K plus. And my car is low insurance group, small engine, etc.

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