Baby, You Can Drive My Car

Baby, You Can Drive My Car

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Today's tots are taking matters (and car keys) into their own hands and hitting the road -- and it's dangerous.

Yesterday, a kid decided he was going to the mall, so he hopped into his grandma's car and drove off. Only problem-- he was a 7-year-old first grader. "He was awful small to be driving," said Matthew Sands, whose car was smashed into by the child-driven Geo Tracker. When the boy was asked by police how he managed to drive the SUV in the first place, the boy responded that he learned by playing PlayStation video games.

The mall isn't the only driving destination for kids. In the past couple of years, these (really) underage drivers have also put the pedal to the metal:

In 2006, after his father left the keys in the ignition, Andrew, a 3-year-old, drove the car into an intersection. In the short 100-yard drive, he managed to damage three vehicles. Andrew's mom said of the incident "Like any 3-year-old, he's into anything."

In 2005, a 4-year-old, drove--albeit very slowly--to a video store by using only the power of the idling engine of his mother's car. Only problem was, since it was 1:30 a.m., the store was closed, so the boy put the car in reverse and drove home.

In 2007, a 6-year-old Colorado boy really, really wanted to go to Applebee's, but no one would take him. So, the enterprising first grader took the keys to his grandmother's car, put his booster seat into the front seat and tried to drive there. He didn't make it very far. In his 80-foot jaunt, he hit a power pole, cutting off electricity to his neighborhood.

A 9-year-old girl took her 4-year-old friend and the keys to her parents' Mistubishi Montero and drove from Little Ferry, N.J., to Hackensack before crashing into cars and hitting an 84-year-old man--who luckily sustained only minor injuries.

A 3-year-old boy--apparently bored with the limitations of his cherry red Mustang battery-operated car--took it into REAL traffic along with a 2-year-old passenger. The tiny car managed to cross a busy intersection near a highway and traverse a bridge. His punishment: His keys were taken away.

Do you think video games are to blame for so many tiny drivers?

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4 comments so far | Post a comment now >>

although video games do enable children to pretend to drive, it is the parent’s responsibility to watch their children. if you think that a particular video game might be a bad influence GUESS WHAT you can get rid of it. you are the parent you are in charge. it’s amazing how many parents forget that these days.

- Anonymous

Posted 06/26/08 04:01 PM

totally not the video game’s fault.

- a.

Posted 06/26/08 04:39 PM

No, stupid parents are at fault!

- Anonymous

Posted 06/27/08 10:48 AM

OMG

- Anonymous

Posted 06/29/08 11:14 PM