My son is now driving !
Scary thought but having turned 17 this month, my lad is now taking to the roads.
Unfortunately, as both Mrs C and I have autos, and he's gonna try and get a full licence, the only manual driving he'll get a chance to do will be during the lessons. So, today I've been looking at a wee runabout manual to have as a learner for him and I've been a bit shocked by a few quotes I had for insurance - in a good way. I looked at a banger Rover 45 1.6 up for £500 .... Insurance for him as the policyholder with me as a named driver, fully comp, £350 ! Looked up a Mk2 1.6 ZS saloon - the black one currently on the bay of E, fully comp, same quote £350 ! Its with a company called Collingwood and requires a black box to be fitted, via a comparison website. I'll run it by him and see if he fancies parting with some of the wedge he's been building up. |
That quote is surprising. Good to know there are some sensible insurance companies still out there. Time will soon fly when he gets going, next thing you'll know and he'll be changing cars like his dad!
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I think it's low just because he has to be supervised. I expect it'll be 4 or 5 times that when he passes and will be out on his own.
He won't be anything like me - he a steady lad and his car will be for getting him from A to B and he'll probably keep it until it falls apart. Best I get him in a nice 1.6 ZS to begin with eh ... ;) |
you have to watch the black boxes as they record everything, Time, speed, braking etc. can be used against you in a crash.
Also check the insurance, the grandson had insurance when I was taking him out. All well and good until he passed the test, then the insurance didn't cover him and he had to get insurance as a full driver, not on a provisional driver status!! Crazy, I had to drive him home in his car or he would not have had insurance from returning to the test centre and having the pass certificate!! Taught him and the granddaughter in their own cars, both had Clios, easy to drive, nippy and had good visibility. Good luck to him. :):):) |
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Good to get him going in something on the provisional licence, I learned solely in the instructors car and I'm sure I'd have needed less lessons if I'd have been able to get some extra time behind the wheel in another car.
I agree with the others that a black box seems very restrictive although I've no direct experience. What about a ZR? I can't imagine the insurance is too bad especially on the 1.4 engines; should get a couple of years out of a half decent one... |
I'm not fussed about the black box thing - big brother watching etc. a guy at work used to get regular text messages about his son's driving - I like that.
As for the type of car - I was really surprised that the ZS was £350 - same as the Rover 45. There's a fully kitted 1.6 for £1500 on the bay of E that looks really nice and to be fair, I'd like it for the occassional run too. ZR is also a good call - very nice 1.4 monogram on there at the moment but a bit expensive. We'll see. As it stands just now he's not even got into 3rd gear with the instructor so we are a while away from him getting in there in anything other than the instructors dual control Hyundai i10 !! |
As you say the insurance price will jump a lot when he becomes a full driver, pending on how long your son takes to pass though the potential of a year's no claims in his own right would help.
I think the 1.4 or 1.6 ZR or ZS will jump hugely pricewise - do some comparisons as I know in the past the MG's were "expensive" compared to other cars. I'd also be a little wary on allowing too much driving without an instructor - the counter argument is that you don't get the reinforcement of all the good habits and it can be much easier to develop bad ones. Not necessarily bad in terms of actually driving in the real world, but bad as in passing the test - as they are unfortunately quite different as I found out when I failed my first test! Good luck to him tho :) |
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I had one pupil who turned up for the lesson before her test slamming it down through the gears to slow down the car. When asked her boyfriend had told her that was how she should do it. I remaindered her that the gears are for going and the brakes are for slowing. She relaxed and sailed through her test. |
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I know I am a "better" driver than I was when I first passed, but I would struggle to pass my test due to my wheel holding/turning habits - I'd have to really think about it and that would reduce my concentration on the outside world; I would probably be assessed to not be careful enough at junctions. (that's what I failed my first test on and I make decisions faster after 18+ years than I did then). That and I think making use of a bit of rear axle steering is probably frowned upon ;) I do still however check all my mirrors when pulling off, still check my inside for cyclist when turning left, or the outside when crossing traffic - even when not in the city.... One other bit of advice that I was given by my instructor while I was doing pass plus (so post having my license) was: "If you have to think about whether there is space to get out then you don't have the space" As a general rule of thumb I've found that to be the most useful advice in the real world - although pending the car that decision is easier or harder! :trampoline: The last thing I still adhere to was the advice: "If you cause another motorist to perform a manoeuvre to avoid you, then you've made a mistake - and braking is a manoeuvre". |
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