Learning to Drive

It's quite scary to think that in less than a year's time, A will be old enough to apply for her first provisional licence and start learning how to drive a car. I haven't had a great experience of driving personally, though I do have a full UK licence I actually haven't driven for quite some time - we are talking years here - after a near-miss with a rather big lorry when I was picking up the Mister from work one evening which scared the life out of me.

It took me about five years, on & off, to pass my driving test. I'd have lessons, then stop, then have more lessons, take my theory, pass it, lessons, stop. Theory expired, more lessons, theory again, pass again, stop. You see how it goes. Throw four failed practical tests in at various intervals during that time, a couple of babies, and I eventually passed it on the fifth attempt.

A & J (13) are both keen to get behind the wheel though J obviously has a while to wait, as is H (8) who is an avid watcher of anything remotely related to cars or vehicles in any way - although if he had his way, I'm quite sure that his first vehicle would be his very own Eddie Stobart truck!

I don't want to pass on my lack of driving confidence to my kids, I want them to drive, and enjoy the freedom it gives you to go wherever you like. I want them to love driving, and to have a really positive experience. However, I also want them to respect it, and understand that driving is a privilege and a big responsibility that should be taken seriously - especially if they don't want to pay over the odds for their insurance when they first pass their test.

The new black box telematics insurance is a great way to help young drivers stay safe as well as save money. A 'black box' is fitted to the car, somewhere discreet, & all they have to do is drive safely, & responsibly - staying within the speed limit & not braking excessively - to earn rewards, in the way of money back on their premium with a positive driving style score. This way, premiums can be worked out by how conscientious a driver the individual is rather than basing it on the 'average' person, which in my opinion is a much fairer way of doing it.

I think it will give A (as well as myself and her father) extra peace of mind as a new young driver on the road, knowing that she has a personal online record of her driving in case of an accident, and also because the device acts as a tracker if the car was to be stolen. I hope that one day soon I will build up my confidence enough to get back in the driving seat, and knowing that this type of insurance is available for not just young drivers but inexperienced (and young... *cough*) drivers like me is certainly a good incentive to try.

This is a collaborative post.