Tuesday, March 04, 2008

Wrecks, Tickets, Reckless Driving, Oh My!

This is a true story. My son turned 18 in mid-November. Within one week, he had his driver's license. Within another week, he was arrested for reckless driving. One more week went by and he had a wreck. After his car was fixed, which took a couple of weeks because it is an Audi, he promptly had another wreck. Back into the body shop the car went. It was fixed within one week this time.

Of course, my insurance agent canceled him after the second wreck, but still had to pay for both wrecks. My son his car out of the shop. He managed to stay out of trouble for three days. Then he received a speeding ticket. Of course, he did not tell me. He started getting letters from lawyers in San Antonio, where he was ticketed. I asked him why he was getting letters from lawyers in San Antonio, and he told me.

Two weeks went by and I was starting to breathe easier. I kept reminding him that he needed insurance. That he had to have a replacement policy by the time the other policy lapsed. I explained that, by law, he could not drive without insurance.

My son tried to get insurance, but to get comprehensive and collision, he would have had to pay $5000 for six months. I am not kidding. I did not know what to tell him to do. Finally, by going online and getting quotes, and cutting his coverage and raising his deductible, he managed to get basic coverage for just under $2000.

I have always thought it was unfair that men under 25 years old were penalized by insurance companies. Now, I do not know why insurance agents write policies for young men for anything other than Motorcycle Insurance!

Everyone is endangered when my son drives . . . LOL!


10 comments:

Anonymous said...

How can it be unfair that insurance companies charge the highest rates to drivers so reckless that by their own parent's account they've gotten two serious tickets and and accident in the course of a month, and charging lower rates to cautious middle aged drivers who've not had tickets or accidents in years. I rarely find myself defending insurance companies, but in this case...

Anonymous said...

LOL. I think your son needs a few lessons on driving, among other things. :)

Anonymous said...

I know exactly how you feel! My sons are quite a bit older than yours and I no longer have to worry about them (but I do). I remmeber telling the elder one - he was the worst - that he wasn't allowed to drive my car until he was 30. He now lives in another country and has a very fast (far too fast) car. I've no idea hwat tickets or accidents he may be ahving. He certainly won't be telling me :)

Anonymous said...

Your son ought not to be driving. Thought you would've learned that by the first wreck.

CyberCelt said...

@alan-I was relaying a tale of woe, not attacking insurance companies.

@baby-Lessons on manners, too! LOL

@a-Thank you for understanding my message. ;-)

@leon-Do you have children? If so, how do you control them after they are 18 and have moved out of the home? Any suggestions are welcome.

Anonymous said...

Well considering he doesn't live at home, there isn't much you can do. He has done that to himself and consequences will ensue. You can only hope he learns from them but after getting into another accident not even a week from getting the car fixed from the first one? I dunno. A driving class should help with the insurance though.

CyberCelt said...

@blue eyes-He will not take driver's education. He says he knows how to drive. I told him that he could take defensive driving to offset the speeding ticket, but he did not seemed thrilled. I just have to stand by and hope he does not hurt himself or someone else. It is no fun being a mom once they are out of diapers. LOL

J said...

I cannot believe that you let your son keep driving after that! My brother totaled my dad's Mercedes when he was 18 and was grounded for 3 months. Why did you let him keep driving 1)after so many accidents and 2) such a fast car as an Audi! I think that's a little reckless.

CyberCelt said...

@jo-Do you have children? If so, how do you control them after they are 18 and have moved out of the home? Any suggestions are welcome.

Fetamy John said...

i think you need to teach him the deriving but first to check what is the prob with him or his deriving try to improve it by yourself