Autosanity|Just another WordPress weblog

Well, it happened yesterday. My daughter got her drivers license - passed with a 97, too. On one hand, I’m thrilled for her as I remember the freedom that little card can bring. I’m also scared to death, as I’m fully aware of facts like the following:

• Auto accidents are the major cause of teenage deaths
• 16 year olds crash more than any other age group
• 24% of teen drivers killed in 2003 had a blood alcohol level of .08 or better
• Two-thirds of those killed were not wearing seatbelts

It helps that I know my daughter - very responsible, good grades in school and I know firsthand that her driving skills are definitely above-average. But, for some added “insurance” my wife and I decided to get her additional training so she wouldn’t be hitting the road as I did over 30 years ago (at 15 and 9 months old), after mostly putting around in parking lots).

We chose MasterDrive mainly because of the positive recommendations we got from other parents. They have a good program that, in conjunction with Colorado Law, will let a teen begin the program at 14-1/2 and be eligible for a learner’s permit at 15, once they have passed the written portion of the test. Part of the training (which costs about $800) is a two-day, closed course classroom/driving school. Kids bring a car and they drive around a course that really lets them feel how a car reacts to certain situations - skids, panic stops, etc. After passing the written portion of the test, the DMV will issue a permit to the young driver and three options for driver training are given. If conditions are satisfied, then they can get a license at 16.

1. 20 hours of training from a permanent business plus an additional 30 hours of parent-supervised training
2. 50 hours of training by parent or legal guardian
3. 6 hours of instruction given by an instructor employed by a state-approved driver training course plus an additional 44 hours of parent-supervised driving.

We chose option #1because we felt that the additional driving experience will be a big factor in her ability to handle situations that come up in traffic.

So now I smile, pray & cross my fingers as she motors out the driveway.

This is something I’ve been preaching for years and now some other smart souls out there are finally catching on.

Now that gas is $4.00 + per gallon in most areas of the country, people in droves are trying to buy hybrid cars (mostly Honda Civic and Toyota Prius) to save at the gas pump. But, Toyota and Honda can’t keep up with demand and now there’s a 6-month waiting list for the Prius. Plus, I’m sure now that a huge demand exists, the dealers who are lucky enough to have a couple in stock will be trying to get as high a price as they can.  I’ve seen a Prius on Craigslist priced at $29,000 - and that ad soon disappeared! Was it sold for anywhere near that amount? Did the buyers realize they could’ve bought a year-old luxury Avalon for $23,000 and driven for six years before their costs equaled that of a Prius*? I’m not saying that hybrid cars are bad - I’m just stating that the facts show they’re a lousy way to save money!

Heck - I’d even take it a few steps further - buy some Detroit iron from the late ’90’s (Buick, Olds, Ford) for about $4,000, drive the wheels off for a few years and make a big dent in your kid’s college education with the savings!

The moral of the story? Consider the TOTAL COST OF OWNERSHIP when making a purchase like this.

*Avalon @ 23 mpg driven 12,000 miles/year = $2088 fuel cost/year ($4.00/gal)

*Prius @ 44 mpg driven 12,000 miles/year = $1092 fuel cost/year ($4.00/gal)

Prius @ $29,000 - Avalon @ $23,000 = $6,000

With all of the gloom and doom that passes for “news” reports these days, I can understand why a family would seriously consider canceling the annual vacation. Gas prices outta sight, unemployment worse than the great depression and everybody’s house is now worth a dollar ninety-five. But, is the country ready to go to hades in a handbasket, or are our friends in the professional news business creating overblown hype to sell the news? Before you blow that vacation, consider the these facts (Image courtesy Britannica.com);

1. 94.5% of Americans (of those who want to work) have a job. People are still buying gas-sucking SUVs and humongous diesel pickups, although not in record numbers, but they’re still buying. Remember, during the actual Great Depression (1929 – 1939), only 75% of the country was employed. And that other 25% really wanted a job – any job. Those people built roads and picked vegetables - by hand. We’re a little more picky nowadays – we import a “man” for those jobs.

2. Food prices are up, but, contrary to popular belief, no one is starving in the USA. You may be eating out less (or eating at cheaper places), but Americans are still maxing out their daily caloric intake. Stroll through a Wal-Mart on Sunday afternoon if you don’t believe me.

3. Gas costs 33% more than it did last year. The big news was how fast it rose from $3.00 to $4.00 (and more in some places). So, did you calculate exactly how much extra you’d pay for gas if you drove to the vacation destination? Let’s do some quick math. If you drive 1,200 miles round trip to Wally World for 7 days (and 5 nights) of unparalleled bliss, it will run you $220 for gas if your car gets 22 mpg. How much would it have cost you last year with gas at $3.00/gallon? About $165. Cancel a vacation for a lousy $55? You could save that much by giving up that Starbuck’s double sugar and cream frappucino for only 13.75 days! Give up smoking for 18 days! Eat only beans & rice for two weeks and you’ll have at least a hundred extra bucks in your pocket!

Life’s too short for all this whining and crying. These are the good old days – let’s enjoy them before it’s really too late.