SHE SAYS...

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31052, 6 May 1966, Page 11

SHE SAYS...

. . . what are the deciding factors which influence parents to allow their children the use of the family car? How often are these factors age, experience in driving, maturity and the company the children keep? The decision rests with the parents alone, but all these factors should influence them.

Remember childhood, when we learned to ride cycles? We were not permitted on the road until we were able to control the machine. And then in company with others we rode to school, where we had further instruction from visiting traffic officers on road use and the road code. We learned from our mistakes, too, but usually we suffered only skinned knees, and perhaps the cycle suffered twisted front forks.

High school students may be fortunate in being able to join a car club at their school, a type of club, I feel, which is not common enough in New Zealand. The train-

ing such clubs afford young drivers and potential drivers is invaluable. Such clubs emphasise the importance of road rules and sensible driving, promote interest in the care and maintenance of vehicles, give experience in driving under all sorts of conditions by rallies and driving tests, and perhaps most important, instill in the young person the desire to improve his or her driving as much as possible. Not all youths have the advantage of such training, and parents must realise the responsibility they are taking—and the responsibility their children are taking—when the children are permitted to have the car.

The car is .after all, usually the second most expensive item the family owns, after the house.