Rookie driver's 1st official drive...and it's in a Tesla!

digitaltim · Jan 5, 2015

My 15yo daughter got her MD Learner's Permit a few weeks back. I have to say that the MD MVA has gotten quite efficient compared to the days when the only real location you could go to was HQ and everything was manual including the queue. It was a blast to watch my daughter fret over her picture and get crazily sweaty palms just before the "written" test.

Once we got to the secondary/tertiary roads near our home, I asked her if she wanted to drive the rest of the way which she immediately responded to with an emphatic YES! I pulled over and (figuratively) handed over the key (fob). The car made it an easy first drive with the exception of me having to remind her to maintain speed (believe it or not) and to stop hugging the shoulder. We did another ride in the Tesla later that weekend.

After some discussion with my wife, we decided no more rookie drives in the Tesla. We want to be sure she a understands how to properly brake, use the keys, etc. There are just too many environmental and learned behaviors that we don't want her to miss out on at this point since ICE cars (including the Mini Cooper which she will be driving) still dominate the road.

Maybe my 12yo daughter will get the full autopilot experience when her time comes.

Lucky kids...

PS - @artsci, be on the lookout...

thedaysbetween · Jan 5, 2015

I'm in MD too.... I'll be extra careful around Mini Coopers. :smile: On a more thoughtful note, I never thought about teaching someone to drive in a Tesla vs an ICE. Good sound thinking.

Todd Burch · Jan 5, 2015

DigitalTim,

You, sir, are nuts

.

dsm363 · Jan 5, 2015

digitaltim said:
After some discussion with my wife, we decided no more rookie drives in the Tesla. We want to be sure she a understands how to properly brake, use the keys, etc. There are just too many environmental and learned behaviors that we don't want her to miss out on at this point since ICE cars (including the Mini Cooper which she will be driving) still dominate the road.

Sure it wasn't second thoughts about losing the car to the kids each weekend?=) Lucky kids and a very nice Dad too.

digitaltim · Jan 6, 2015

Todd Burch said:
DigitalTim,

You, sir, are nuts .

There is a fine line between genius and insanity. I guess this make it clear for me. ;-)

- - - Updated - - -

dsm363 said:
Sure it wasn't second thoughts about losing the car to the kids each weekend?=) Lucky kids and a very nice Dad too.

tvm

We are super excited to get our 3rd driver (and a 3rd car) after the 9 month learner's permit period - two year round swimmers that practice 2 hours per day, 7 days per week at two different venues is exhausting. ;-)

efusco · Jan 6, 2015

digitaltim said:
My 15yo daughter got her MD Learner's Permit a few weeks back. I have to say that the MD MVA has gotten quite efficient compared to the days when the only real location you could go to was HQ and everything was manual including the queue. It was a blast to watch my daughter fret over her picture and get crazily sweaty palms just before the "written" test.

Once we got to the secondary/tertiary roads near our home, I asked her if she wanted to drive the rest of the way which she immediately responded to with an emphatic YES! I pulled over and (figuratively) handed over the key (fob). The car made it an easy first drive with the exception of me having to remind her to maintain speed (believe it or not) and to stop hugging the shoulder. We did another ride in the Tesla later that weekend.

After some discussion with my wife, we decided no more rookie drives in the Tesla. We want to be sure she a understands how to properly brake, use the keys, etc. There are just too many environmental and learned behaviors that we don't want her to miss out on at this point since ICE cars (including the Mini Cooper which she will be driving) still dominate the road.

Maybe my 12yo daughter will get the full autopilot experience when her time comes.

Lucky kids...

PS - @artsci, be on the lookout...

Color me impressed. My boys just got their permits about a month ago too. And, at this point, there's no way I'd let them behind the wheel of my Model S! First of all they lack motivation to learn to drive at all (which is baffling, but apparently a thing in this generation), second, after seeing the lack of focus and skill in my Prius, I'm gonna need some proof of their capability before I risk a drive in the S. And, as you said, I think it's possible to learn some bad habits in the S. Having a slower accelerating vehicle teaches a bit more about anticipation and timing, what a "normal" car feels like braking and handling. I'm sure they'll get to drive the S a bit at some point, but not for a few months at least.

digitaltim · Jan 6, 2015

efusco said:
Color me impressed. My boys just got their permits about a month ago too. And, at this point, there's no way I'd let them behind the wheel of my Model S! First of all they lack motivation to learn to drive at all (which is baffling, but apparently a thing in this generation), second, after seeing the lack of focus and skill in my Prius, I'm gonna need some proof of their capability before I risk a drive in the S. And, as you said, I think it's possible to learn some bad habits in the S. Having a slower accelerating vehicle teaches a bit more about anticipation and timing, what a "normal" car feels like braking and handling. I'm sure they'll get to drive the S a bit at some point, but not for a few months at least.

I hear ya...though my daughter was pretty motivated to get her permit - we did it within 2 weeks of her hitting the 15 years and 9 month mark (MD's rule). I think she understands the "freedom" she will get being mobile given where we live in the boonies and no easy access to mass transit.

I see it as freedom as well from the Daddy Uber service.

efusco · Jan 6, 2015

digitaltim said:
I hear ya...though my daughter was pretty motivated to get her permit - we did it within 2 weeks of her hitting the 15 years and 9 month mark (MD's rule). I think she understands the "freedom" she will get being mobile given where we live in the boonies and no easy access to mass transit.

I see it as freedom as well from the Daddy Uber service.

We're quite rural too. many of my kids' activities require a 30-40 mile round trip. And I've explained that to them, ad nauseum--they don't care. In MO they can get their permit the day they turn 15, but my kids had excuses and delayed almost 6 months. Weird generation.

Beckler · Jan 6, 2015

As an aside, one thing to remember is that the need for manual driving skills will only be around for another 10 years or so. So it's something small kids today aren't even going to know about.

abasile · Jan 6, 2015

Beckler said:
As an aside, one thing to remember is that the need for manual driving skills will only be around for another 10 years or so. So it's something small kids today aren't even going to know about.

I think it's going to be considerably longer than ten years before self driving cars take over. Google has made it look easy, but that's in carefully controlled conditions on roads mapped in exquisite detail. For general use in all driving conditions, there are so many "special cases" that will need to be worked out. And it will also take quite a while to replace or retrofit all of the cars currently on the road.

Robert.Boston · Jan 6, 2015

My 18- and 21-YO kids still don't have driver licenses. My theory is that on-line hangouts have replaced a lot of the needs I had growing up (+ living in the urban core of a city with solid public transport).

I have often fantasized about them taking their driving test in the Model S, though. The highway patrolman would definitely be wrong-footed.
"OK, turn on the car."
"It's on already."
"Oh."

tga · Jan 6, 2015

Robert.Boston said:
My 18- and 21-YO kids still don't have driver licenses.

efusco said:
We're quite rural too. many of my kids' activities require a 30-40 mile round trip. And I've explained that to them, ad nauseum--they don't care. In MO they can get their permit the day they turn 15, but my kids had excuses and delayed almost 6 months. Weird generation.

"Feh! Kids these days!!!"

I couldn't wait to get my license. I grew up in the 'burbs - if I wanted to get together with friends, someone needed to drive, and my parents got sick of playing taxi service. My wife grew up closer to the city and didn't get her license until just before college, so she'd have ID at school.

I learned on my parent's 2 Oldsmobile station wagons, with real vinyl fake wood paneling. I tried to convince my uncle to teach me to drive stick on his classic 911, but he didn't think that was such a good idea. He did teach me on his Renaut Le Car, but the lesson ended shortly after I botched a 2->3 upshift and shifted 2->5. Then I refined my stickshift skills on a 4 speed Chevy Astro cargo van I drove for a student laundry service in college.

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Rookie driver's 1st official drive...and it's in a Tesla!

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