I mentioned yesterday that my 13-year daughter likes it when we go driving. Even when she was 11 or 12 I would take her over to the empty school parking lot on weekends and let her get behind the wheel and go around in circles. She's tall and has no problem seeing over the wheel and has a sense that this is something important and even dangerous, and that she should be safe.
A few months ago we started to venture out from the parking lot; I'd let her drive on the back streets of our town, always keeping her away from other traffic or places where she would get in trouble. As time went on, though, she kept getting better as a driver, and so we started driving out into the country or on the road to the next town. She is wanting to learn how to do well in parking, how to drive at night, how to drive in bad weather. Today she started to look online at the drivers' permit tests she will take in another year or so, but all the while she's very cautious, never going over the speed limit, and very courteous towards other drivers.
I have no fears when she is driving. She is still almost a year away from being able to get her driving permit, but I'd trust her more than many of the other people I see driving. It used to be that parents would have their kids do a lot of the farm or house chores before we rediscovered childhood. Had my daughter been alive in those days, I'm sure she would have been the one driving the farm tractor to town in order to pick up parts. I'm wondering whether or not I can start letting her be my regular driver, whether I can just sit in the back seat and read my book and enjoy the passing scenery. She'd love this.
For years I have been awaiting the days in which it would be a regular thing for cars to be self-driving. Maybe I was waiting for the wrong thing...my daughter has been ready to drive me all along.
