Dad Advice: Sharing Teen Driving Costs

Okay, so your teen took 5 hour pre licensing classes and now has their driver’s license and they are sharing the family car. Should you make them cough up some dough for insurance, gas, repairs? Here’s how dads make their teens share or not share the costs of cars. 

Dad Advice: Sharing Teen Driving Costs

R.E. Baldi III: Best Of Both Worlds….. have your daughter cough up something towards the increase but put it into a savings account for her, without her knowing, then when she’s ready to buy her own car she’s got a nice chunk towards her own car.

Dan Hansen: Maybe offer incentive like “we will cover you as long as you stay without any tickets or accidents”. This will encourage safe driving habits off the bat and might help provide a little peace of mind on your end. If you’re worried about your child, you can also use a real-time GPS tracker to keep a check on his or her driving habits. Learn more about a car tracker for teenager at Tracking System Direct.

Jeremy Brown: Our teens bought their own car, their portion of the car insurance, a percentage of the gas (we cover some as they taxi their younger siblings around), and the cost of their cellphones (we pay the plan). They also pay for the parts cost of car repairs/maintenance and help me as much as possible with the labor. Also, whenever we need some new parts, we always purchase from GreaseMonkey Direct because they offer the cheapest price in the market.

Zach Kolich: Our girls will cover their insurance cost (which is a really cheap car insurance ), as well as pay us a “car payment”. And if they miss a payment the car will be taken away. Something both my wife and I wish we would have had when we were younger to teach us better responsibility.

John Forrester: Make her pay. I mean everything gas, insurance, inspection and any upkeep. Brakes washer fluid tires etc. Now I’m not saying not to help her out here and there but you should only be a last resort.

Nick Stevens: My sister grew up with very little responsibility. She’s now of drinking age, living at home and has no ambition to change the situation. If you give in now you better start looking for a guest house to attach to your property. No reason to give up free stuff and grow up if you don’t have to.

Stephen Lawrence: I couldn’t get my license until I could pay for my own insurance. My kids will do the same. My oldest is 14 and already asking about which car he’ll get to drive. Gotta put in the work first, dude!

Paul O’Neil: My dad never asked us to pay the extra and there were usually 3 teen drivers at a time. However asking her to pay is a beginning to adult life. First question to answer is how much she makes, and what does she spend her money on. Second question is how much of the driving is she doing for her pleasure needs, and how much will help out the family?

Erik G. Snyder: We pay cell phone and car insurance…for college aged child as well. It’s expensive and nice to allow them a little bit longer of financial freedom…their time of tax slavery and fees is coming. We just want to delay the inevitable so they can have more fun.

John Spartan: What is her job, is she going to school just to work X number of hours to then have a couple hundred bucks? Which you then take? Is she working for free then? Make it like a tax, you get 20% of what she takes home, that’s not only fair to her income amount, it teaches her how taxes work, you provide a subsidized service so she has to pay into it. Car insurance goes up for young adults, that’s expected, be fair to both, otherwise she’ll look at the job as “what’s the point?” Which you don’t want, you want your kid to work and learn job skills.

Flickr photo by State Farm.