Teaching Your Kids To Drive: Is It Legal?
Many parents think it’s a great idea to teach their children to drive. They can do it at their own pace. They help to practice independently and save some money as they don’t need many lessons.
This usually happens before the kids sign up for the driving school or when they are preparing for the exam to get the driver’s license. This is what is known as accompanied driving: the driver does not have a driving license and does so under the responsibility and supervision of an experienced driver.
However, is it legal to teach your kids to drive? The answer is no. Whoever does it commits a crime against road safety. It’s a crime and it has consequences. Below we will look at some facts to know what the law says about this situation and what the sanctions are.
What does the law say about teaching a child to drive?
When parents teach their children to drive, even in areas without traffic or pedestrians, they are committing a crime. It is a crime against road safety according to Article 384 of the Criminal Code (in Spain). Check the legislation and guidelines for the country in which you live.
It doesn’t matter if it’s a police officer or a civil guard who catches a parent and child in that situation. An accusation can be made against them and that will result in the corresponding actions.
If there has been no incident or damage, then the penalty is given for driving a car without the corresponding driver’s license.
Who gets the sanction?
When parents teach their children to drive and a member of the police or vigilante stops them, both are seen as involved in the crime. This means that the child committed an offense by driving without a license.
Likewise , the parent is also guilty of providing the vehicle. The presence of a parent encourages the child to drive without being legally capable of doing so. If it is someone else, not a parent, who is teaching the child to drive, then the situation is the same.
Penalties for driving without a license in Spain
In such scenarios, the penalty is usually significant. The Criminal Code punishes those who drive without a license according to the extent of the crime. The penalty can range from three to six months in prison, a daily fine for a period of 12 to 24 months, or community service from 30 to 90 days.
Offenders are almost always punished with a combination of the last two punishments we’ve seen. If the driver is a minor, the financial penalty will apply to the child’s legal guardian.
The prison sentence is reserved for serious cases where a serious accident has occurred. It can also be applied when the driver and teacher, in this case parent and child, show aggressive behavior towards the officers who have arrested them.
Why teaching your kids to drive isn’t a good idea
Besides the fact that it’s a crime that can lead to significant penalties, keep in mind that teaching your kids to drive isn’t such a good idea for other reasons either. In fact, in order to teach another person to drive, it is necessary to have the corresponding certification. Being a teacher in a driving school is not easy.
The training car must also be sufficient. Double pedals are needed so that the teacher can drive the car or correct possible dangerous actions by the student. In addition , the vehicle must be easily identifiable by other drivers.
Without all these precautions, practicing driving can be dangerous and you could have an accident. Even if this happens in private areas or places with little traffic. It is dangerous to take unnecessary risks. In addition , the insurance company is not liable for the damage in the event of an accident.
Finally, when you teach your children to drive, you can pass on certain vices that are difficult to unlearn afterwards. For example, you can get used to keeping your hand on the gearbox or not placing your hands properly on the steering wheel.
These bad habits not only threaten driver safety. They can also be a reason to fail the exam.
