Obviously a spin off.

So a hypothetical scenario.
You newly P plater DD or DS has just has their license suspended for speeding. Three months. They were not hooning just a genuine error/carelessness.

Due to this its going to be difficult getting to uni/ work and other responsibilities.

Would you look at and support avenues of getting them off? Or would you say take your medicine and be more careful in the future?.

I tend to think I would let them live with the consequences. Its only three months and they have lived the previous 18 years of their life without a car so can find alternative arrangements until the disqualifications are up.

While I agree the punishment is harsh and might not fit the crime I suppose I dont like the Idea of clogging up the court systems and using the loop holes to getting out of something that you DO have control over. I can see the point of having harsh penalties for P platers and I it does not sit with me that people can get 'off' and perhaps not take laws and rules seriously if you whinge enough.

What would you do?

No way in hell would I ever help DD get out of any sort of situation brough about by a lack of road safety. If I did, and she sped again and killed herself or others, the blame would lay very heavily with me. I'm a total softie generally and would help her out of 99% of messes, but not where life and death is at stake.

If, as in the real-life case, there is a child involved, I would help them to get one point back, as we have in SA, so they can drive to work and their child to childcare.

If there was no child involved, suck it up and learn the lesson. There is public transport.

I would help out if I could but I wouldn't be putting myself out majorly. I have probably already been driving them around for their whole life anyway.

That's what my answer would be. If that happens to my children in the future they will just have to learn their lesson, get over it and get on with it. They can look in to getting a lift from friends or work something out with DP and myself. What kind of lesson would I be teaching my children if I tried to find back door tricks to sneakily get their license back for them? Come crying to mummy when they need me to twist something around for them when they are adults and old enough to take it as it comes and learn lifes lessons. I might seem harsh but when they are adults they need to step away from the parents and look after themselves.

My thoughts too

Speeding is speeding. I would want my child to learn their lesson and take the punishment, whether it was intentional or not once they've lost their licence for 3 months they will hopefully not be so careless again. Assuming we still live in Melbourne when my children get their licence the getting to uni/work excuse will be a moot point, I managed perfectly well living in Melbourne without a car from age 18 to 24 and I'm sure my kids will be able too as well. It would be different if we lived on a farm or something like that, but even growing up in the country I remember plenty of friends losing their licence and they just had to find a way to get by getting lifts from others.

My parents tried. Saw one lawyer who shook his head and they gave up.

Plenty of people live without a drivers licence and are able to go to uni/work etc. There is public transport, walking, bicycles, taxis, car pool, friends to help with getting around!

I would teach them a valuable lesson, let them suffer the consequences of their actions.

Unforunately, we live in a society of whingers, and the 'woe is me' attitude is prolific, especially amongst younger people. People always feel they are entitled to more, are hard done by, and should be the exception to the rule. I think it is up to the legal system to stand by the laws that are set and not give people a free pass everytime they break the law. Unfortunately, this doesn't happen as much as it should.

I agree with the majority of posts here too. To quote "would you say take your medicine and be more careful in the future?." The answer is yes.

Three months is not a long time and they are an adult.

Better to learn from an experience than not

Di da di da

DH and I were just discussing this as on the forums he belongs to they are discussing this exact situation, that has happened to one of the people there, his child has been caught speeding by a camera. In there case the daughter needs the licence for her job.

This.

No.
(& especially a P-plater who only recently got their license. How did they get to work, uni before?? Pass)

Besides, I'm not going to set precedence for their siblings. Do the crime, do the time in this house.

Yell them to suck it up.

It's not hard to keep to the speed limit FFS.

No.

I might assist where I can with a lift here and there, but ultimately the responsibility lies with her. I'd rather she learnt these lessons early on in her driving experience, than much later when she's gotten away with speeding through sheer luck and circumstance. The monetry consequence would be hers, too.

I would let them take the punishment. If there was ridiculous difficulty in getting around I would try to assist with transport where possible.

It depends on the circumstance, if it was a substantial amount or hooning, no help at all and punishment to boot.

If they misinterpreted a road sign or travelled slightly over the limit which is a mistake all the population except for eb martyrs have probably made, I'd help yes but in WA it's not instant loss for licence so all they would lose is a demerit point.

No I wouldn't, and no I haven't.

If there is one thing DH has stressed to them and that is to obey the road rules.

If you help get them off the first time, then it can turn into the next and the next and the next.

I would help in any other way I could, even if it meant lending money for taxis or having them stay with us which is closer to transport.

No we would not help our children get off any driving conviction!! It is a huge responsibility and privilege to have a drivers license. Not a right. A car is loaded weapon and so it needs to be treated that way. The sooner they recognise this the better it is for their driving future. Getting them 'off' does not do them any favour's. In fact all it does is assists them in not taking responsibility and fuels their next careless error or at the least, doesn't show them that inattentive 'accidents' are unfortunately your fault.

We have a 'new' P Plater in our house. Every time she hops in that car we have a quick light chat when she says 'goodbye'. Be careful, take care and be attentive. It is not that I don't trust her, it is just I know how easily it is to break the road rules and how much it can inconvenience or God forbid destroy lives.

I don't know what I'd do with a probably make them wear the punishment and help them work the best way to manage in the meantime.

Which doesn't mean I'm not hypocritical - DP had 3 days left on her Ps (which she wasn't displaying on my new car) when she was caught above the speed limit in an 80 zone (I think - it was maybe 18 years ago and I know that zone has changed from 80 to 70 at some stage) one of the new (at the time) speed cameras. I was in the passenger seat and I took the rap.

But the boys - probably not.

dadathome



Oh my how many times did that happen in the late 80's and 90's. The photo's are so much clearer now. Virtually impossible to put blame on the opposite sex now.

Short answer - no.

Yup. Live and learn.

No, not unless they were pregnant and had a 15 month old to get to daycare before work everyday. It depends on the circumstances!

If it was a run-of-the-mill kid with no reason as to why it would be highly inconvenient, then they would have to suck it up.

I would help my children get a car, costs of running a car but they need to take responsibility of driving the car safely.

It wouldn't matter what the circumstances were, if they were driving they cop any punishments fairly.

As a supposed martyr, I have made mistakes while driving and have been caught speeding. I haven't made excuses for it and called for a pity party or tried to get out of it though.

No, I wouldn't if they think they are responsible enough to have a license then I would force them to abide by the conditions of that license.

I will try to instill in my kids that driving is a privilege not a right and actions have consequences. A little bit of inconvenience and public transport won't kill them.

Do the crime, do the time.

My 20yo brother has lost his licence a few times already. He lives a good 20+ kilometres from work. He had to get up an hour earlier to catch the train or a bus and tram, but he did it and didn't lose his job. If he can do it (laziest person I've ever known) then pretty much anyone can do it.

What are you teaching your child if you get them out of these scrapes all of the time?

Yep, exactly what I would do.



Same, and I wont make excuses for my children either.

In my 11 years driving I have had 3 speeding fines - all of which I have paid for and lost the demerit points for...

About 2 years after I got my licence, my mother lost hers for 3 months (speeding) and I was a bit shocked that she didn't try to get a work licence or anything - she just got out of bed earlier and walked the 2 kms to the train station, and walked home again - we went grocery shopping together anyways so I could drive there...but she never complained and now drives like the old lady she is...

I have never 'lost' my licence, but I would hope that it is a lesson learnt when I make my children take responsibility for the stupidity of their actions... It may be tough for them, but no doubt taking someone's life would be a hell of alot tougher!

If my DD had a 15 month old and was 5 months pregnant, I would be furious at her for speeding. I still wouldn't help her get off.

There are many issues that I would allow her some leeway on. But you only have too look at the road toll, not to mention the multitude of people maimed and injured through car accidents, to see why I feel VERY strongly on this issue. I have worked in rehab hospitals. 7km over the limit is 7km too much.

But with all these responsibilities I'd hope that the young adult person with the license would treat it with more respect and be more careful than to risk losing it by speeding.

It's meant to be inconvenient to lose your license, if there was no consequence that made an impact it would be meaningless, and nothing would be learnt from it.

Did anyone else see that young woman lawyer who got off her drink driving charge because public transport would have taken her two hours to get home a couple weeks back??? That made me so angry, if you have to drive, then don't drink. No-one forced her to knock back a bottle of wine over lunch, that was her decision, she knew she was driving, so tough sh*t, take the penalty. I think that is even worse than speeding, because it is so deliberate.

Would I get my child off?

I read this in a sexual way!!!!!

The answer is no in both situations