Mom is anxious about allowing teenager driving privileges | Street Scene
Q. Katherine asks, how do I tell our teenage daughter that she is not ready to drive a car? Ever since her 15th birthday this topic of conversation has become a regular unwanted routine. If she has an accident and is hurt or if she hurts someone else I don’t know how I would cope with that. Please tell me what to say that will convince her I don’t want her to drive yet.
A. With no real background to why the difference of opinion between you and your teenager about driving ability I am unable to speak to specifics. Is it immaturity on her part, the fear you have or a little of each? However, I sense your concern is more about her well-being rather than her ability to operate a motor vehicle.
Which, although commendable and understandable, might confirm your suspicion this subject is damaging your relationship. I’m not sure I’m the one to ask since I understand the natural desire for freedom to explore and youthful exuberance. As such, I usually join the teenager seeking the privilege to expand horizons which for many years means accepting the responsibility of driving the family wagon.
Not long ago 10-year-old children were operating farm tractors, occasionally taking them onto a public road while relocating to other pastures bisected by the very road taken by eminent domain that was once part of the family farm. For all I know this may still be the case.
As for my own children, I began conversations about safe driving at an early age, a very early age. The conversations would eventually segue into finding a vacant large parking lot where I started them off, literally, by learning how to safely start the car by placing the gear selector in Park, holding their foot on the brake, place the vehicle in gear and gradually release the brake allowing the vehicle to move forward at idle speed without touching the accelerator.
I was always in a position to shut down the ignition if necessary. This little outing became a weekend treat for the kids and for me. The spontaneous excitement, happiness and uncontrollable wide grin I wouldn’t want any parent to miss.
I understand teenagers’ desire to steal away from time to time and parents fears of putting their children in such an awesomely responsible position. I suggest you check your daughter’s school and/or your city directory for a local driving school and enroll your daughter. If there is no driving school available let it be you who becomes the driving instructor.
Your daughter has reached her teenage years, so you have obviously done well as a parent so far. There is no reason not to mentor her driving. Be patient, don’t exhibit any anxiousness your daughter will pick up through osmosis. Sharing this growth in her life and the excitement she feels can be a beautiful (and bonding) experience for you both.
Perhaps unbeknownst to you, I’ll bet she has been paying close attention to your driving for the last two years so helping her learn to drive safely is the next natural step.
All parents have reservations about their children driving a car. My own experience and the experience of parents after their teenagers become drivers shows the value of having another driver in the house to run and pick-up last-minute items for dinner, pick up and drop off siblings, etc. Best wishes to each of you. By the way, not once did I have to intercede during the first time any of mine got behind the wheel.
Striping needed on Deer Lake
Last week we told Jeff we would investigate a potentially hazardous condition for drivers on Deer Lake approaching the Waters Meet and Chadwick Way intersection. Today we ask the Leon County public works department to restripe this approach to provide a clear and safe transition from the undivided two-lane road to the divided by wide median two-lane road.
Flared-out double yellow centerline striping on the southbound approach to the intersection can be used to guide motorists away from the wide grass median awaiting them south of the intersection. Highly reflective centerline paint augmented by raised pavement markers and post delineators in the grass median will alert unsuspecting motorists at night of the pending transition to the right.
Speeding on Veterans Memorial Drive
Q. Debbie has been trying since last summer to get law enforcement and traffic safety engineers to pay attention to the unsafe conditions on Veterans Memorial Drive at, and in the vicinity of, Middlefield Road. Drivers are speeding, passing in no passing zones, stopping their vehicles in a moving lane of traffic and a variety of other dangerous driving habits putting innocent people at risk. 18-wheel tractor trailer trucks are trying to turn around and getting stuck partially off the road and partially on.
A. Street Scene joins Debbie in requesting Leon County Sheriff Walter McNeil dispatch deputies for regular patrol in this area and Colonel Howze, FHP director, to send State Trooper’s out there to bring an end to the reckless driving in this section of Leon County. We request Leon County Public Works to conduct onsite traffic safety inspections/ studies to identify problems such as lack of signage, street lighting, insufficient pavement markings and provide remedies. There are reasons drivers feel emboldened to ignore established public safety regulations. We owe it to our rural citizens such as Debbie who take the initiative to ask for help. It is our obligation to answer their calls.
State Troopers on Interstate
Q. James wants to know why when traveling I-10 and I-75 Florida State Trooper cars come zooming by at close to or over 100 mph with no lights, siren or any other warning and about blew me off the road. Why don’t FHP have to go the speed limit unless they are responding to a call and then have to have lights and sirens on.
A. Florida State Troopers are authorized to travel the posted speed limit.
Will there be traffic signals near airport?
Q. Rip says please tell me before widened Capital Circle is opened there are going to be signals at the airport. DOT usually waits until there are a couple of fatalities but the need here is obvious.
A. In the current construction plan I am surprised to find there are no provisions for a traffic signal system at the Tallahassee International Airport access/ egress points. However I have learned the City of Tallahassee Airport Management is currently conducting a study to determine if a traffic signal is warranted.
Considering the NHRA (National Hot Rod Association) drag race start we must employ to stick ourselves between two lanes of fast moving vehicles in both directions already, I certainly would hope traffic safety professionals won’t expect us to navigate four through-lanes and a left turn lane on our own.
On the outside chance the consensus is traffic signals are not warranted Street Scene readers public outcry will be enough to bring about a full phase traffic signal system.
Philip Stuart is a retired Florida State Trooper, Traffic Operations Projects Engineer and Forensics Expert Witness. Write to crashsites@embarqmail.com.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Mom is anxious about giving teenager driving privileges
