Parents Abdicating Their Responsibilities

<a href="http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2006/06/28/opinion/gazette/50-gazetteopinion.txt">Gazette Opinion: Reasonable road rules for teen drivers</a><br />n<br />n<blockquote>As of this weekend, Montana joins the other 49 states in making special provisions for helping young drivers gain skills they need to be safe drivers.<br />n<br />nAt long last, Montana's graduated driver's license law will take effect. For the most part, the law reinforces what concerned parents should already be requiring of their teen drivers:<br />n<br />n <strong> Before getting a driver's license, the teen has to complete a certain number of hours of driving in the day and at night under the supervision of a parent or guardian who is a licensed driver.<br />n </strong> Everyone in the teen's vehicle has to wear seat belts at all times.<br />n <strong> Teen driving is restricted during late-night and early-morning hours.<br />n </strong> During their first year of driving, teens are limited in the number of other young passengers they can have.<br />n <strong> Any violation of traffic law will result in consequences (community service or loss of license) for the teen driver.<br />n </strong> After successfully completing a year of driving with a restricted license or when teens turn 18 (whichever comes first), they are granted an unrestricted license — just like older drivers have.</blockquote><br />n<br />nIf you ask me this is just a new law that allows parents to abdicate their responsibility for their children. If parents would be serious enough about the <b>privilege</b> of driving, laws like this wouldn't be necessary. But they happily foist off their responsibility to the State and call it a good thing.<br />n<br />nThe new <a href="http://www.doj.mt.gov/driving/driverlicensing.asp#graduateddriverlicensing">Graduated License</a> requires 50 hours of supervised driving and a minimum time of 6 months before a young driver can get a license. My oldest had her learners permit for over 9 months before I felt she was ready for the test and drove well over 50 hours, probable 150 hours or so, supervised by My Darling Wife or I before we felt she was safe enough to drive. Most of that driving time was spent correcting the wrong things the drivers education teacher taught her to do.<br />n<br />nNow that she has her drivers license she <b>does not</b> get free and unfettered access to a vehicle. We still tightly supervise what she does, where she goes, and who can be with her. She accepts this, not happily, but knows that any arguments will lead to us suspending her driving privileges all together. She tried once saying that she has a license and it's her right to drive. I told her driving was a <b>privilege</b> and that I could suspend hers anytime I wanted and promptly did. <br />n<br />nParents don't need to be their kids friends, they need to be their parents and enforce the rules and make them see right from wrong. In a way it's funny at times. My oldest will complain we are too strict, but then she watches the way other kids are running around, out of control, and she will thank us for being her parents, not her friends like these other kids parents. That is the highest compliment I think I have ever received.<br />n<br />n<strong>Being a parent brings immense responsibility. It's a Herculean task. It would be almost too much for me. Julie Christie</strong>