Rural Teens: Who Funds Driving Lessons?

[U53rName]

Not learning to drive isn’t an option where we live, unfortunately. Who should fund driving lessons? If parents, how many, or an indefinite amount? (We both have good jobs, so it wouldn’t affect our family budget.)

You do. Assuming your child is 17 realistically what is the alternative?

I think parents should pay for driving lessons as a birthday gift when they are old enough. An intensive one usually means you don’t have to have as many.

A few teenagers I know had part time jobs by 17 (ferried back and forth by parents) and paid half towards the lessons, the parents paid the other half.
You could always split 80/20 OP if you want them to contribute.

My dc is self funding because we don't have a choice (single disabled parent) dc1 and now 2 worked to fund lessons in an ideal world I'd pay but I can't so this is their only option. Dc2 is 17 and all their friends parents are paying. This should be a household decision remembering if you do it for one child you need to have the funds to do it for the others.

You pay, until they pass. You say it wouldn't affect the family budget, but it's a huge amount for kids to pay themselves. You could make it a birthday or Christmas present though.

If it's not going to affect your budget, then I think you should pay. It's your choice to live rurally where you do, not the teens.

If you were thinking they would fund the lessons, how are they expected to do that if they don't drive, and presumably there is little public transport. They can't actually get to a job to earn money to fund the lessons.

We paid for a block of lessons for each of our DCs, for their 17th birthday gift.

DD2 needed a few more lessons than her siblings, mainly because she ended up being stiffed by Covid, and everything was very sporadic, but we just quietly paid for the extras... it didn't seem fair to penalise her.

It's not really a should but a could.

In our case grandparents and parents funded. Plus part of 17th birthday present.

But DC passed first time with a reasonable amount of lessons. ( Can't remember numbers but it didn't appear excessive)

If they'd not passed first time or shown little / no progression we would have called a halt, got them to pay for it themselves. They had PT jobs. If they had been fully employed rather than at 6th form we would probably got them to contribute something.

DC were always respectful and thankful we picked up the bill for lessons and tests.

Yes, our teen has a job (which we drive them to), where they earn about £40 per week.

Parents generally fund. Driving lessons are really expensive. Around here it is £45 an hour.

Agree with this. We funded DDs lessons and bought a car. My friends in the village have all done the same. I also tax, insure and mot her car.

So you’re considering making them spend their entire weekly salary on driving lessons for at least half a year? Why?

Of course you should pay, driving is a life skill, like swimming etc.

It's probably obvious but after the first couple of lessons doing as much practice as possible going places in the car with you in the passenger seat is invaluable in making progress more quickly. This helps reduce the number of lessons required.

Yeah £45 an hour here and being rural and they need to get to the nearest big town they have to do 1.5hr lessons at a minimum.

We aren't rural, but will still be paying for driving lessons as we consider it a life skill and part of their education (a bit like how we paid for their swimming lessons when they were younger). Unlimited lessons until they pass, but we have said that this offer only stands until they leave uni, ie if they don't take up lessons while still studying, it will be on them to fund later in life.

We paid for the lessons and our kids used their savings and wages from part time jobs to buy/insure their first cars. If you can afford to pay for the lessons then I would do so in your position.

We did as well as the cars and insurance. It was our decision to live where we do and we felt because we made that decision it was our responsibility.

When i was learning to drive living at home my parents paid after I left home i paid.

This 100 %

I just can't imagine what it must be like to have to drive everywhere. The expense of running a car for a teen must be so much. And then each person over 17 in the house has their own car. I guess that's the choice you make to live rurally.

It’s bliss to be honest, a great freedom to be able to drive wherever we want. I would hate to have to walk everywhere or be reliant on public transport.

DC is insured on my car, and everything is paid for on that front. We bought a block of 10 lessons, and I think we should continue to pay, as not learning is not an option. DH says that DC should pay for 50% going forward. I’m just trying to gauge what others do.

If you have chosen to live somewhere that driving is required, then whoever made that choice should pay (so presumably parents!). Or be prepared to give unlimited lifts.

If you live somewhere that driving is more optional then I think it depends more on family finances and dynamics.

10 lessons is nowhere near enough to pass, it’s 20 minimum. What’s his logic behind thinking DC should pay half?

Surely it’s also in your interest for them to drive as you’ll have to give fewer lifts.

Yeah I'm certainly not suggesting it's horrible living rurally. It's just a lot different to what I know.

I used to go to my mates home in rural wales where the nearest towns were 45 mins away. It was so much fun to explore the forests and fields and river etc..we went a few times a year when I was 8-13. But I'm a city kid at heart it's true.