Teen Driver and Boxster

[rick3000]

I'll add that most bad teen driving I see is when a teen is on a cell phone or driving with 3+ other people in their car. A Boxster can get rid off both of those problems.
If you have a manual you can't really pull off talking on a phone most of the time, and because it only has two seats their is only one person to distract the driver.

I think it is ultimately up to parents to know their kids well enough to decide if they are responsible enough to drive a car like the Boxster.

[stephen wilson]

Adam, you're very defensive! There's a reason insurance is so much higher for young, inexperienced drivers. I was a very responsible teen, never got into trouble, and got A's, but guess what; I showed poor judgement & driving skills on many occasions! I was only in one minor accident, but it was one that I would have avoided with several more years experience.
I had to pay 1/2 the price of my first car, which was a '69 Mustang for a whopping $2000!
One important point is: what year/value is the Boxster we're talking about? How easily can you afford having it totaled? If it has a low value and won't cause financial hardship if it's damaged, the decision may be a bit easier.
Steve

[PlayersExpress]

Yes I am very defensive because Ive come up in a stereotypical, biased world that say I cant do something, that I and others like me are something or cant do something because we are too young and inexperienced.

I am told I cant drive a car because Im inexperienced. Wrong, some people have a lot higher learning curve than most other people. You cant judge a person by there cover and your abilities and standards. Everyone is different.

Im young and Im told to go to college so I can get a good job working for someone else. Wrong. I own two start up companies, and people look at me, tell me, or even think to themselves.. that Im not going to make it or that Im too young and dumb.

The reason insurance rates are so high is that they are biased against teens, if you go look up statistics you will see that older drivers 55+ have the same rate of accidents and even higher than teens, yet their insurance is less. Insurance is a BUSINESS MEANT TO MAKE A PROFIT... they make it from teens. Essentially they screw teens because they are already biased against from day one of driving so therefore it is easy to use that as cover charge higher rates, and the best part about it ... TEENS HAVE TO PAY! Every teen wants to drive and if it cost them $600 a year more than their parents, they will pay it to drive.. and even if you complain, you cant change the system. They have what you want and need required by law to drive. If you disagree with me, feel free to go look up statistics, facts, and reports that are all free information online and offline. I already have, my final project for a Sociology class was on this specific topic about teen drivers, insurance, and safety.

Cheers,

Adam

[Lil bastard]

Originally Posted by PlayersExpress

Yes I am very defensive because Ive come up in a stereotypical, biased world that say I cant do something, that I and others like me are something or cant do something because we are too young and inexperienced.

I am told I cant drive a car because Im inexperienced. Wrong, some people have a lot higher learning curve than most other people. You cant judge a person by there cover and your abilities and standards. Everyone is different.

Im young and Im told to go to college so I can get a good job working for someone else. Wrong. I own two start up companies, and people look at me, tell me, or even think to themselves.. that Im not going to make it or that Im too young and dumb.

The reason insurance rates are so high is that they are biased against teens, if you go look up statistics you will see that older drivers 55+ have the same rate of accidents and even higher than teens, yet their insurance is less. Insurance is a BUSINESS MEANT TO MAKE A PROFIT... they make it from teens. Essentially they screw teens because they are already biased against from day one of driving so therefore it is easy to use that as cover charge higher rates, and the best part about it ... TEENS HAVE TO PAY! Every teen wants to drive and if it cost them $600 a year more than their parents, they will pay it to drive.. and even if you complain, you cant change the system. They have what you want and need required by law to drive. If you disagree with me, feel free to go look up statistics, facts, and reports that are all free information online and offline. I already have, my final project for a Sociology class was on this specific topic about teen drivers, insurance, and safety.

Cheers,

Adam

Yes, there are biases against young people. Mostly these are born out with accident data and so forth.

Yes, there are young people to whom these biases do not apply.

So, how do you tell the difference? What test is there that will identify these people?

ALL new drivers start out the same way = 0! Zero accidents, zero speeding tickets, zero miles of experience. Along the way, many more move into the + column than not, those are the facts.

Once a person has demonstrated that they are good drivers, their rates go down... that is accomplished with TIME.

But it's not all just about those statistics either.

Young people rack up more leisure miles, they rack up more miles at night, they are often carrying other young passengers, they are more social at that time of their lives and so don't stay home as much. They have fewer responsibilities and approach life from that position, trying new things, taking more chances, etc.

They are also gaining experience with many other things for the first time such as
alcohol - a perfectly legal substance (age dependent), and many people reduce their consumption with age (been there/done that, have to get up in the morning and FUNCTION, deterred by DUI threat, etc.).

You may indeed be one of the MANY exceptions, but how do we identify this?

Insurance Cos. and other institutions in society have to be modeled for the norm, not the exception.

I dispute your research about teen driving. I think you're cherry-picking your facts.

Here's a report on teenage drivers done by the California DMV (not associated with the insurance industry) :
Teenage Driver Risks .

Among other things, it states:

"California teenage drivers aged 16-19-years-old have extremely high per capita and mileage-adjusted crash and traffic violation rates. This report summarizes the literature regarding the risk factors involved in their high crash rates, as well as the countermeasures that have been used in California and elsewhere to reduce their high crash risk.

Although some portion of teenage crash involvements can be accounted for by poorer basic vehicle handling skills, the research suggests that it is young drivers’ immaturity and inexperience, and the resultant risk-taking, that contribute most to their increased crash risk. Certain driving conditions, such as nighttime driving and transporting young passengers, are particularly high risk for teen drivers. The higher crash rates for teens associated with the use of alcohol and drugs may mostly be the result of a general pattern of risky behavior."

I'm guessing this one didn't make it into your Sociology project

I agree with you that if teens were not an increased risk on the road, their rates should be the same as others, but that's simply not the case.

And, there are plenty of people 25-55 who are bad drivers too, and they're paying rates just as high as teens, or higher.

[ekam]

Originally Posted by rick3000

If you have a manual you can't really pull off talking on a phone most of the time,

Really?

Try using your kneecap to steer, I've seen it before.

Or just ask lovebunny or FTD how they put makeup on while driving.

[fragdude]

Originally Posted by rick3000

I'll add that most bad teen driving I see is when a teen is on a cell phone or driving with 3+ other people in their car. A Boxster can get rid off both of those problems.
If you have a manual you can't really pull off talking on a phone most of the time, and because it only has two seats their is only one person to distract the driver.

I think it is ultimately up to parents to know their kids well enough to decide if they are responsible enough to drive a car like the Boxster.

Just to play devils advocate, every car I personally have purchased has had a manual transmission and it has never stopped me from talking on my cell phone...

However, I basically emulated the habits taken by my parents (father in particular) who always does something while driving. I also learned that there is a limit as to what you can do while driving (mainly because I was scared when he was behind the wheel), something my father hasn't quite figured out yet...

But I do agree that having 1 other seat in the car is less dangerous than 4 others.

Tell him NOT TO TEXT while driving!!!!! Much more dangerous than talking!
and if he does talk pay more attention to the road than the conversation!

[sd_boxster]

You've admitted over the course of this thread to misdemeanor or felony speeding (depending on the posted speed limit for the roads on which you were "chasing" your mom) - indicating that (a) you chose to ignore the law, and (b) you allowed your judgement to be swayed by someone else.

How is this a compelling argument to give a Boxster to a teenage driver?

[PlayersExpress]

Originally Posted by sd_boxster

You've admitted over the course of this thread to misdemeanor or felony speeding (depending on the posted speed limit for the roads on which you were "chasing" your mom) - indicating that (a) you chose to ignore the law, and (b) you allowed your judgement to be swayed by someone else.

How is this a compelling argument to give a Boxster to a teenage driver?

Yes I did. If you read the beginning of the paragraph, I said it would be good to get professional driving lessons and or learn the limits of the car autocrossing. My mom chose to test me and I chose to oblige. Im not saying it was the right thing to do, but it is what it is. You can not say you have not done something of a similar nature with any new car no matter your age. You are spinning the story to suit your point. It is a compelling argument to give a boxster to a teen driver, the facts are there and you just need to realize them. As I said in an earlier post.. who are you to judge others? Who are you to tell them what they can and cannot have? Even from a parents respect they still have no right to force their will upon their teenagers for reason being that they themselves are their own person and not a slave. We all judge other people yet we have no right to.

[Lil bastard]

And here's another one you apparently overlooked:

http://editorial.autos.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=498409&pkw=PI&vendor=Paid+Inclusion&OCID=iSEMPI

[Lil bastard]

Originally Posted by PlayersExpress

... Who are you to tell them what they can and cannot have? Even from a parents respect they still have no right to force their will upon their teenagers for reason being that they themselves are their own person and not a slave. We all judge other people yet we have no right to.

Actually, the Law has generally always respected a Parent's right to control the behavior of their child... why?

Very simply, the Parent is legally and monetarily responsible for their child's behavior and welfare until they reach adulthood.

I'm not picking at you, we've all been there - high rates, being told what to do (which is really only a problem if you disagree with what you're being told)... it's just part of life.

[sd_boxster]

I'm not spinning the story to suit my point - merely reiterating what you wrote. Within minutes of getting the Boxster, you were driving recklessly in a car you were not familiar with. You're carping about being stereotyped in the same thread where you relate a story of how you behaved stereotypically.

If a car on the expressway had merged into your lane while you were "weaving in and out of traffic" at speeds up to 100MPH, the results would have been life altering...

And yes, I can say I have not done this with a new car as an adult. I drive fast now, sure, but I drive fast in situations where a mechanical failure or poor driving on my part would at worst cause the deaths of me and a cactus. I drove recklessly as a kid, and I was an "good" kid. Thankfully, I was driving a Delta 88 when I had my worst wreck - if I'd been driving a Boxster instead of a massive Oldsmobile, I would have been cut out of that wreck.

The original poster was asking for opinions - and everyone here has been opining. Also worth considering is that everyone here who's shared an opinion has in fact been a teenager and therefore has a perfectly valid point of view, regardless of how dated that view might be in your estimation or how it might conflict with yours.

WHO ARE YOU TO JUDGE US FOR BEING OPINIONATED? WHAT GIVES YOU THE RIGHT?

Originally Posted by PlayersExpress

Yes I did. If you read the beginning of the paragraph, I said it would be good to get professional driving lessons and or learn the limits of the car autocrossing. My mom chose to test me and I chose to oblige. Im not saying it was the right thing to do, but it is what it is. You can not say you have not done something of a similar nature with any new car no matter your age. You are spinning the story to suit your point. It is a compelling argument to give a boxster to a teen driver, the facts are there and you just need to realize them. As I said in an earlier post.. who are you to judge others? Who are you to tell them what they can and cannot have? Even from a parents respect they still have no right to force their will upon their teenagers for reason being that they themselves are their own person and not a slave. We all judge other people yet we have no right to.

[coreseller]

Back to the OP....I believe the above banter from both teenagers and older "seasoned" members is pretty illustrative as to whether or not to give / lend / trust your 16 year old with a Boxster. I've got a few kids, they're all different and will be trusted accordingly, none of them will get sports cars to drive right off....period. If they want a sports car they can go out and earn it later in life, it will likely be more appreciated then. Nothing will be given to them with a bow on it either, there will be conditions and rules, violating said rules (if I catch them, we were all 16 once) will result in the forfeiture of their driving my car....period. In Ohio, driving is a priviledge, not a right, if the parent or guardian does not sign off on the driver's license the kid cannot drive until the age of 18. My job as a parent is not to be cool, it is to raise the kids well, provide for them, help educate them and lead by example. Any exposure or experience to sport cars is purely a bonus....lol.

[eightsandaces]

IMO, The correctly chosen four banger can be a very fun car to learn on with plenty of back road spirit and without the temptation of great quickness. The economy helps lengthen the teen's gas cash, (a selling point) and certainly lowers the insurance liability. There are times when people treat every Porsche encounter as a chance to squeak their tires and tell about the time they beat a Porsche in a race with whatever they drive. As an adult, it's easy to watch and laugh as a teen it's easy to chase and potentially cause great harm..Just my opinion but even my 944 was too fast for a teen.

[gmboxster]

Originally Posted by sd_boxster

You've admitted over the course of this thread to misdemeanor or felony speeding (depending on the posted speed limit for the roads on which you were "chasing" your mom) - indicating that (a) you chose to ignore the law, and (b) you allowed your judgement to be swayed by someone else.

How is this a compelling argument to give a Boxster to a teenage driver?

GOOD POINT. I'm afraid our young friend has lost all credibility. He committed the exact behavior he said teenagers are stereotyped for. LOL. Going 100mph in a totally unfamiliar car that is slightly bigger than a GO-Kart, shows an extreme lack of responsibility. He put himself in danger and EVEN worse he put others in danger as well. Enough said.

[jmatta]

I'm tired out from following this thread! I have two teen drivers; an 18 yo son, a going to be 16 yo daughter and two Porsches. My son has driven the Box S on the street with my supervision and attended an autocross school with Chicago PCA. I've encouraged him to try the 911 (track set-up) but he's not really interested (guess I'm lucky).

When it came time for a car, he choose a slightly pre-driven Jeep Liberty; more his style. Yes, he has friends with sports cars, but most the kids prefer a small SUV. When he's off to college, he can load a lot more stuff in his Jeep than a sports car.

My daughter will probably want to drive the Box; kids!

Hang in there Adam and drive safe, but enjoy.

[Lordblood]

The bottom line here is, use your own judgment. The fact that people are resorting to facts that survey ALL teens and opinions about ALL teens shows that on the whole people are either a) uncomfortable about it or b) don't know enough about the subject.

I for a fact am a teen and I've owned a Boxster for a reasonable amount of time. I also know for a fact that I don't drive irresponsibly, I don't street race, I don't try to beat Mustangs between the lights, I don't take corners at speeds I wouldn't in any other car.

I can't say all teenagers drive responsibly, and that's why I say that its up to your judgment to evaluate how your teen drives, nobody else can make that evaluation other than you the parent.