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.


iVillage Member
Registered: 05-09-2006
Tue, 05-09-2006 - 7:36pm

I don't agree with that at all, Rose. Consequences for adults and children are different and that's just part of the deal. It goes way beyond the single incident and paying a fine. If this is a habit and the consequences don't get the child where he or she lives, which is not always in the pocketbook and more often it's in their transportation, the habits will continue and some day somebody will get hurt.

In fact, most states have different classes of licenses for teen drivers than they do for adults, and different laws and consequences for violations as well. I think it would be a really big mistake not to make this kind of thing more of a learning experience than just pay the fine and you're done.

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-09-2006
Tue, 05-09-2006 - 7:42pm

Oh Molly one more thing I forgot to respond to, about your son riding his bike to work. If it's only a couple of miles, what's the problem? It will be good for him. He'll get some exercise and have all that time to think about why he's not driving his car to work. I'll bet he rode his bike a lot further than that before he got his license and a car! If a month of that doesn't slow him down once he gets back behind the wheel, maybe the thought of having to do it again for even longer next time will!

And another benefit: he'll be saving lots of money on gas that he can put toward the fine for the ticket!

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-09-2006
Tue, 05-09-2006 - 7:55pm
I just hate that this message board system doesn't line up responses and puts them all at the end instead. Now that I've read through everything and see that you say you've opted for some kind of additional consequence beyond just paying the fine, I'm curious to know what you've decided to do. Just in case I want to use it on my dd if/when she gets another ticket!
iVillage Member
Registered: 01-19-2006
Tue, 05-09-2006 - 9:01pm

Thanks Rose. This too was my initial thought. When I received my two (total in my life) speeding tickets, I paid the fines and any increased premium. My son also knows if he receives another moving violation before he's 18, he will lose his license by the courts until he is 18 and will have huge fees to pay to reinstate. My husband is being a bit unreasonable about this.

Thanks again for your advice!

Molly

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-19-2006
Tue, 05-09-2006 - 9:09pm

I'm still deciding on the punishment. I think two weeks of no car and having to ride his bike to work will work wonders, I hope. On top of that, he will have the fine of $126 to pay and he is still paying for his transmission repairs from a month ago. He will be a little strapped for cash. I may lock up his dirt bike to drive it in further.

By the way, he just turned 17 on 5/6, so he's been driving for almost one year so far.

Thanks again!

Molly

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-09-2006
Tue, 05-09-2006 - 9:23pm
You said to Rose that your husband is being unreasonable. What do you mean exactly? Does he think that paying the fine should be enough? At least since he's your husband and not your ex-husband, you won't have to worry about him pulling the same thing that my ex did on my by going and paying the fine for your son behind your back. The lesson will be learned much better by your son having to pay for his mistake himself out of his own pocket with money he had to work for. If Daddy gives him the money then the lesson is lost.
Avatar for elc11
Community Leader
Registered: 06-16-1998
Wed, 05-10-2006 - 12:30am
I think that having the teen pay the fine is enough punishment UNLESS you are paying the auto insurance and the teen's premium increases because of the violation. In that case I would have the teen pay the difference between the previous premium and the increased rate. That's not really a punishment, more like a natural consequence to the action.
iVillage Member
Registered: 10-16-1999
Wed, 05-10-2006 - 7:24am

I got the impression that husband wants to pay the fine for the kid, tho I could be wrong.

Avatar for heartsandroses2002
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Wed, 05-10-2006 - 8:05am

If my 17 y/o got a speeding ticket, she would pay the fine herself and lose her car for a week, perhaps two, depending on the speed she was ticketed for.

It's easy to pay a fine, but the child must learn that speeding isn't just against the law, it's dangerous, especially in residential areas.

My dd was recently caught having a party at our house while we were away. She had a choice: Pay a fine and have it on her record or go to community service in the inner city for 3 days and have it expunged from her record. After she signed up for the community service (at our urging as well as the court's) she said to me, "Jeez, I should have just paid the fine and been done with it". Hmmm, I thought, I'm glad she's doing the community service even moreso now....maybe she will think twice next time someone yells, "Party at so and so's house!"

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-19-2006
Wed, 05-10-2006 - 8:12am

No, the opposite. My husband thinks he should lose his car for months. He tends to be a bit extreme sometimes.

I thought paying the fine with his own money and the fact that if he gets another ticket, he will lose his license until he's 18 would be enough. However, after listening to everyone on the boards I'm agreeing to two weeks no driving just to emphasize the importance of safe driving habits.

My son's grandpa, on his fathers side, would probably pay the fine just like your ex, but I don't think my son would ask him to pay.

Thanks!

Molly