| How many of you responsible parents would allow your daughter to get a moped? 19:04 - Sep 28 with 1729 views | redrickstuhaart |
Nearly 17. Doesn't want a car (for autism related reasons, doesn't think she could cope with one- primarily because arriving at a situation on a country lane whereby someone had to reverse etc would reduce her to tears with anxiety...).
School about 5 miles away. |  |
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| How many of you responsible parents would allow your daughter to get a moped? on 11:19 - Sep 29 with 200 views | Vaughan8 |
I think riding a moped would cause more anxiety than a car for most people.
One wrong move and you could be very injured. I suppose the same for a car but a lot more protection and if its country lanes you're not going to be bombing it around.
If she is at an autistic level than she'd be anxious reversing a car, if you did go down the moped route, I'd definitely get some lessons before.
Everyone is different but you/her know what kind of person she is and what the roads are like on the route etc. so you are certainly more qualified to decide what is best. | | | |
| How many of you responsible parents would allow your daughter to get a moped? on 11:54 - Sep 29 with 165 views | redrickstuhaart |
| How many of you responsible parents would allow your daughter to get a moped? on 11:19 - Sep 29 by Vaughan8 |
I think riding a moped would cause more anxiety than a car for most people.
One wrong move and you could be very injured. I suppose the same for a car but a lot more protection and if its country lanes you're not going to be bombing it around.
If she is at an autistic level than she'd be anxious reversing a car, if you did go down the moped route, I'd definitely get some lessons before.
Everyone is different but you/her know what kind of person she is and what the roads are like on the route etc. so you are certainly more qualified to decide what is best. |
Its not the skill or act of reversing that bothers her. Its the social interaction which goes with having to work out who is going to do what. If that makes sense. | |
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| How many of you responsible parents would allow your daughter to get a moped? on 12:46 - Sep 29 with 134 views | OldFart71 |
As a senior citizen I suggest things have changed greatly and whilst we have to let our offspring sample real life and cannot keep them wrapped in cotton wool today is far more dangerous than when I grew up. As teenagers we would go for cycle rides and take a bottle of water and some sandwiches with us as we would be out all day. We climbed trees, made a bow an arrow out of sticks and a piece of string and we would probably have a pocket knife. Nobody I ever knew was stabbed.
But as I say, roads are so much more dangerous, so many vehicles. Many not insured or looked after properly.
A difficult decision for you and I cannot advise one way or the other. Weigh up the pros and cons . But if you have decided not to just explain why to your daughter. | | | |
| How many of you responsible parents would allow your daughter to get a moped? on 13:42 - Sep 29 with 96 views | Ryorry |
| How many of you responsible parents would allow your daughter to get a moped? on 10:58 - Sep 29 by TIB |
Hi Red,
I ride a motorcycle and my insight would be that no matter the distance travelled or the size of the vehicle, riding on two wheels is largely about situational awareness, and being aware at all times.
I’d also say, where coming along a country lane in a car causes anxiety, would a vehicle driving close behind her moped or overtaking closely to her cause similar anxieties?
Food for thought. |
Narrow country lanes are a huge risk for everone - walkers, runners, cyclists, bikers, horseriders. Vehicle users, particularly delivery drivers who aren't used to them & are paid per drop-off, get lulled into a false sense of security because the traffic is so light & they may only come across another vehicle once every 5 minutes, so take more risks, speed, cut corners etc. & there's little room for manoeuvre if they're not driving within their stopping distance & suddenly encounter someone on the other side of a blind brow etc..
Having said that, some people on foot or riding don't exactly help themselves by going along in dark clothing with no lights, esp on grey or rainy days - don't seem to realise how nearly invisible they are!
All singing, all-dancing, high-colour, high-viz clothing & flashing lights are an absolute basic must for all pedestrians & riders - gloves & armbands in poor light, as well as vests & standout helmet colours; hi-viz breastplates with flashing lights for horses, as on a big horse the rider's body is often higher than the initial line of sight to oncoming traffic. |  |
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| How many of you responsible parents would allow your daughter to get a moped? on 14:08 - Sep 29 with 72 views | KBsSocks |
| How many of you responsible parents would allow your daughter to get a moped? on 11:54 - Sep 29 by redrickstuhaart |
Its not the skill or act of reversing that bothers her. Its the social interaction which goes with having to work out who is going to do what. If that makes sense. |
As a cyclist, a car driver and an ex-motorcycle driver, I would say "no, but ..."
If she cycles, then her road awareness will be better; if she does not, then get her a bicycle as the first precondition if not: also cycling along non-road routes is possible, whereas mopeds cannot (legally).
My Other Half is a good driver, better than me in many (but not all) ways - but one of their most infuriating is the dithering when "interacting socially" with other drivers - the need for getting it right outweighs what the actual situation is, and I say "read the road situation, don't try to read the other driver. Act according to the road situation. If you got it wrong, it's the other driver that probably got it wrong, but we all make mistakes and there are also a-holes".
Making your intention clear is the most important, and this applies to all forms of road traffic - I cycle such as to make the driver behind overtake in the second lane, and do not cycle in the gutter, for example. But where parked cars on a narrow road make you wait, or give you the right-of-way nominally, just make your intentions clear as soon as you can. If the other driver ignores them, or otherwise, deal with that when it happens.
Also, a camera recording would be a good idea, then you can discuss what you would have done in the situation, whether the same actions or not, might also be an idea.
I am still basically a "no", though, sorry - it should not be a no, but people care less these days than even 10 years ago, and those care-less and careless people drive cars. And vans.
(Edit: more cars and vans on road, means more careless drivers of these vehicles, not that cars and vans are in general are driven by the careless; mopeds, cycles, and motorcyles who are careless riders tend to be careless only once. Bigger vehicles get away with being carelessly-driven much more forgivingly). [Post edited 29 Sep 14:13]
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