what age to teach how to drive

Botom line is -

as a parent you should probably want your kid to be THE BEST AND SAFEST DRIVER ALIVE. So the sooner the better.

I know I learnt in a friend of the familys' paddock when I was about 12. The head start it gave me when I was learning at 17 was massively beneficial. Familiarity with simple things like the feel of steering and clutch-accellerator control meant I could concentrate on the real hazards, like traffic. Dad had me driving to school in the city during peak hour the day after I got my learners.

Teach him when you think he is ready . You know him best so go for it when you feel is best . I was 10 when i got my first drive in a Hillman Hunter ( rocket ship ) . I'd say weld a cage on the car (just incase ) and no mates because it takes .2 of a second for a kids brain to click to show off mode and do something silly .... been there done that :angel:

Well, FWIW, I learnt to drive when I was 9, on our property in South Australia, in a 1925 Citroen CV5.

A year later I was driving a Lanz Bulldog tractor and the old WWII Ford Blitz (with no brakes) :-)

I think and old car maybe a little safer that an AWD 4 wheeled motorbike thingy.

Ron

If he can reach the pedals AND see out the front, then you probably can if he wants to (and is able to learn ;)).
I guess you'd want to judge that first - perhaps grab the zooks saying they're for a few years' time?

I'd agree with sticking to low R/1/2, and no mates.
I was taught with gear limiting - it works well when getting the hang of driving - and it's good to keep as much from them - so he has to earn the privilege of 3rd, etc.

Another couple of things to consider - a harder spring under the right pedal, and perhaps getting him to look after it will help build a bond with it which should translate into responsibility for it. :)

Just make sure it's a reward so you can milk as much housework from him as you can! :twisted:

Go for it~ we NEED more drivers on the road who know what they are doing!

Got my IIA at thirteen. If you can master driving that smoothly, then by 18 you can drive ANYTHING.

Those buggies/quads are fun for kids but pretty useless when they outgrow them, and even more useless for farm work. I have burnt the semi auto clutch on my Suzuki quad out, as well as third and reverse due to heavy towing for which it cannot cope with. The maximum towing weight is 130kg yet I have had close to 800kgs on it:eek:. It still drives but I doubt anyone would want it even for $200.

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Originally Posted by weeds

well megs and 35 and has a licence since she was 18 but i think i need to teach her how to drive:D

just kidding

i have an 8yo boy and as we do a lot of camping on a cattle property i was looking at buying a motor bike or quad for him and his mates that tag along, problem is one bike means only one is having fun at a time

during my research i have come across a couple of suzuki seira's for under $500 each

am i just asking for trouble teaching 8yo's how to drive, i figured i could restrict them to 1st and 2nd gear low and reverse

i learnt how to drive a massey fergeson tractor when i was around 11 or 12

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I was driving the Fergie at 8yo on the farm, put the ute up a fence stay at 9 and rolled my VW paddock bomb at 11.

Got my first motor bike CT125 at 13yo as my old man insisted I learn to ride a horse properly before I could have a bike, and as soon as I got the bike I told him to sell the horse.

My 6 yo daughter rides a PW50 and 10 yo son has a TTR90
but we also have a mini bike track at the farm that the local club uses for training once a month for the kiddies so mine got the benifit of my nagging my old man for years.

Both kids get to steer the car around the paddocks but Im a bit causious in letting my playstation obsessed son loose with the Landy on his own.

IIRC there was a father taking his son across the paddocks on his quad bike (Jamberoo?) in NSW. The quad rolled and the son was killed. :(

I think quad bikes are inherently dangerous on any sloping ground.

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Originally Posted by Bushwanderer

IIRC there was a father taking his son across the paddocks on his quad bike (Jamberoo?) in NSW. The quad rolled and the son was killed. :(

I think quad bikes are inherently dangerous on any sloping ground.

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There is a long list of serious and fatal accidents involving children and quad bikes. Like any piece of machinery, they can be dangerous, but I am not sure I would describe them as inherently dangerous on any sloping ground - there was a twelve year old killed near here on flat ground a couple of years ago.
I think the problem with them is that they are deceptively easy to ride compared to motorcycles, and also, instead of skidding away from you like a bike often does when you lose it, they all too often end up on top of the rider - and even the little ones are a lot heavier than an equivalent bike. Because of this I think children would be safer on a motorbike than a four wheeler, and safer again in a proper four wheel drive or car.

John

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Originally Posted by JDNSW

There is a long list of serious and fatal accidents involving children and quad bikes. Like any piece of machinery, they can be dangerous, but I am not sure I would describe them as inherently dangerous on any sloping ground - there was a twelve year old killed near here on flat ground a couple of years ago.
I think the problem with them is that they are deceptively easy to ride compared to motorcycles, and also, instead of skidding away from you like a bike often does when you lose it, they all too often end up on top of the rider - and even the little ones are a lot heavier than an equivalent bike. Because of this I think children would be safer on a motorbike than a four wheeler, and safer again in a proper four wheel drive or car.

John

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Hi John,
I think you are right, but didn't have the evidence to support a stronger statement.

If you want to restrict him to first and second (from memory the zukes have revers over near first like a series rover)

I'll show you a mod plate that can be easily made up and installed on a series gearbox to prevent any selections other than first second and reverse....


I started learning to drive at about 8/9 sitting on dads lap and doing the wheels and gearshift while he worked the pedals....