Should a 17yo be punished for a speed...

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-19-2006
Should a 17yo be punished for a speed...
30
Tue, 05-09-2006 - 1:48pm

Should a 17yo be punished for a speeding ticket or is the fine enough punishment



  • Additional Punishment
  • Fine is enough of a Punishment


You will be able to change your vote.


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Avatar for mjaye2002
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Tue, 05-09-2006 - 2:04pm

I voted for "fine is enough punishment"; however, if it continues and causes your insurance to go up, then said child should also be responsible for the increased amount of the insurance. Of course, there are ways to keep tickets from showing on his/her record which helps to keep insurance costs from rising. BTDT. :)

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-19-2006
Tue, 05-09-2006 - 2:34pm

Thank you for the additional reply. I completely agree with you. He currently pays for a third of his insurance and that is with a B average. If anything he does affects the insurance rates, it will be his responsibility to cover that portion completely.

Thanks again!

Molly

Avatar for kel7col4
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Tue, 05-09-2006 - 3:02pm
I voted fine is enough of a punishment, but I also think they should be responsible for any increase in insurance. Here (Maine) I think if a new driver gets a ticket within the 1st year they get their license revoked for a certain amount of time...I love that rule!)



iVillage Member
Registered: 05-09-2006
Tue, 05-09-2006 - 4:01pm
I was going to vote for "fine is punishment enough," knowing how high a speeding ticket fine can be, but then I got to thinking... Money doesn't really mean anything to kids these days. When I was 17 if I had to come up with that kind of cash it would have really hurt. But these days kids have good-paying jobs and laying out $100 to pay this ticket doesn't have the kind of sting that it would have had for us when we were their age. They know they'll just get another paycheck in a week or two and it's really no big deal to them. That's how my kids look at it, anyway. Also, my daughter got a speeding ticket about a year ago and I told her she would have to pay the fine. She just asked her father for the money (we're divorced) and he gave it to her, so there really was no consequence at all to her. I wished I had taken her license for a month as well, but it was too late then. She obviously didn't learn anything by it, because she has been pulled over twice for speeding since then! One of these days she isn't going to be able to sweet-talk or cry her way out of another ticket! Anyway, I think you should seriously consider some other consequence for your teen other than the fine or whatever the court dishes out. I find the most efficient teacher of good driving habits is taking away the keys for a month. When they get them back they drive like little old ladies, at least for a while! Good luck!
iVillage Member
Registered: 01-19-2006
Tue, 05-09-2006 - 5:51pm

Thanks for your advice. I thought the "paying the fine is enough" was the way to go, but I'm beginning to change my mind. You're right about money not being a big deal to kids anymore. I also, just found out that he's been pulled over at least 2 other times for speeding and only received warnings. The problem is me having to haul him to work and back. My husband says he should ride his bike, but it's a couple of miles to work. What to do...

Thanks again!

Molly

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-19-2006
Tue, 05-09-2006 - 5:54pm

Thank you for your advice. I'm beginning to change my mind and opt for more punishment. I'm not sure what the law is in Minnesota, but he is shy of 1 year by 2 weeks or so.

Thanks again!

Molly

Avatar for mjaye2002
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Tue, 05-09-2006 - 6:13pm

Maybe because we elected to take the steps required so the tickets didn't show on his record, the total fine for each ticket was anywhere between $200-$350. Believe me, that amount nearly killed him. And we are not talking going 80 in a 40mph. We're talking 76 in a 70 range. And yes, it took a couple times of that for it to sink in, but, sink in it finally did. Now, he was told when he 1st got his license, if he did anything to make it go up, then he could either a) pay all his insurance himself or b) go without a vehicle. So, he did have that hanging over his head. Thank heavens we never had to go there, because I don't know what I would've done. He *had* to have a vehicle, his job was 15 miles away and we have no public transportation.

As for your xh giving your dd money for her fine, perhaps you could talk to him and get him on board with you (for her paying her own fine) in case there is a next time.

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-16-1999
Tue, 05-09-2006 - 6:32pm

Let's talk real-world adult here... what would happen to you if you got caught going 10 mph over the speed limit on your way home from work.

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-09-2006
Tue, 05-09-2006 - 7:25pm

I think you are making the right choice. You don't want the lesson he learns from this experience to be that he can just buy his way out of his mistakes.

You didn't say before, is he barely 17 or nearly 18? Has he been driving very long? Having been pulled over for speeding at least twice before getting this ticket this time seems to indicate a pattern in his driving habits. I've been driving for about 25 years and I don't think I've been pulled over three times in all that time. Have there been other driving related incidents? It would seem to me that he's used up all his "second chances" and that regardless of what the court does, you need to "throw the book at him" to make him think twice about his reckless driving habits, if that is the case. I'd recommend that you consider all of this when deciding what your home-based consequence for him will be in addition to what the traffic court judge imposes.

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-09-2006
Tue, 05-09-2006 - 7:31pm

Yes, it would be nice if xh would back me up on things like that. But dd is very much daddy's little girl and he gives her whatever she asks for. I'm never consulted and only find out about it after the fact. He thinks he's being good to her, but he doesn't realize he's spoiling her rotten and undermining me at the same time. It has always been that way, and even more so since we split, but I won't go into that here.

He had the nerve to be mad at me because I wouldn't pay the fine for her out of the child support! What kind of lesson would that have taught her? I guess about the same as him paying it for her. Oh well. All the more reason I should have taken her license and keys away for a month as well!

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