Would you let your kid steer the vehicle?

by **Elizabeth302** on Fri Oct 23, 2009 12:26 am

Of course. A little common sense goes a long way. There's no harm in it if the area is empty and the vehicle is moving slowly. My parents let me try when I was like 5 and I was so excited.

by **Lizzydelightfullymad** on Fri Oct 23, 2009 12:32 am

I let my kids drive in our back pasture. It's not rocky (no risk of flipping over) and it's a huge open space, so I could stop them in time before there was a danger of even crashing into a fence. My 13y/o drives around our property on his own, but not on regular roads since that's illegal.

They also have experience driving other things. Even my 7y/o twins drive the Mule around. It's a utility vehicle we use around the farm, so kids are well acquainted with it from a very early age.

It doesn't matter as long as you're being reasonable. Some people are just so indecently into these new obsessions with complete, absolute safety and procedure and rules that they don't understand what's reasonable and what isn't.

Letting a kid steer a vehicle on your lap where no other cars are, or letting them drive in an open area, is not an unreasonable risk.

by **Bella276** on Fri Oct 23, 2009 12:35 am

Heck no, this is the worst idea I've seen in a long time. It matters because you're teaching your child at a very young age to disregard the law or choose which laws they will obey. Besides being in the dangerous position of putting your baby between you and the airbag/windshield.

by **pandabear817** on Fri Oct 23, 2009 12:41 am

That's how I learned to drive and I let my kids do it. Especially when I go to my home town. My mom still lives in the country (on a dirt road) adn my kids love it.

Edit: Bella - do you speed? If you do, you're teaching your child to disregard the law and to decide which law to obey and which ones to disobey...

by **rainwriterm006** on Fri Oct 23, 2009 12:45 am

I'd much rather just let him start the car when we're going somewhere. :)

We haven't let him and I don't really plan to, but not because of a safety issue or anything. I know that we could safely do that in the empty parking lot at the church while we drive ridiculously slow or something similar. It's the "I did this cool thing and want to do it again, and again, and again! because it's so cool!" aspect I don't want to deal with.

I'd let him drive the 4 wheeler (which we don't currently have but will in the next few years I'm sure) around the yard, solo, after he's learned how to coordinate "go and steer".

by **Jan564** on Fri Oct 23, 2009 1:58 am

Get your daughter a Barbie car and let her drive around your backyard.
To me that is so irresponsible and stupid...no matter what the circumstances.

by **Prince784** on Fri Oct 23, 2009 6:30 am

HI,

Nah .. Its Not Safe :)

Cheers

by **BECMamatoLucybump761** on Fri Oct 23, 2009 7:54 am

Sure... it's not like she's controlling the accelorator too. Honestly, she's not going to get any more ideas from that than she is from watching me drive and she has a BALL ( she already "steers" out of the drive way for dad in the mornings...she's only 20 months old so can't exactly steer properly)

Would you let your kid steer the vehicle?