Parents: Worst Back Seat Drivers Ever?

For me, driving is always fun and very exciting. That doesn’t mean I am a “careless driver” (I think) or crazy (Wips says I am, what does he know?). I consider myself on par with a Formula 1 driver and am always confident in my driving. However, my mother gets quite a few heart attacks when I am driving and keeps shouting like I’m going to murder her. My father rarely sits next to me when I’m in the driving seat.

On one such rare day, when I was driving, my father next to me, half asleep at about 11 in the night, I accelerated to about 70 kph. Suddenly my father woke up and gave me a good knock on my head, which resulted in me breaking very hard in the middle of the road. I was told to drive under 60 kph. I was surprised. There was absolutely no one on the road at that time. And the best part is my father kept his hand on the hand breaks for the rest of the journey.

I was legally examined by an official driving examiner and have passed my driving examinations. I am pretty confident about my driving skills as well. I admit the fact that they are very protective and concerned of my well-being but is it necessary to be over protective towards their children?

When I drive my mother to her office in the morning, she keeps using the imaginary breaks, (which I find really funny) even when I am driving at an average speed. I have to drive the car the way my father or my mother wants.

Wips says I should be balanced in my critique and talk about the “other side”. Well yes, I suppose sometimes parents, anyone really, would feel a bit worried when they are being driven around. You are in the hands of someone else. It could be daunting. Also parents would naturally be worried about their kids’ driving. Plus they would still have that notion that they are after all the parents and their children should drive that way, simply because they are told to do so.

So maybe my driving might not be the safest in the world. Maybe sometimes I do things that make my mother scream. But I still believe that passengers in the vehicle pose a larger threat if they keep distracting the driver. Parents and children never agree on things usually. Even in driving styles I suppose. Do you guys think its fair for parents to expect their kids to drive the way they want? Or do you think passengers should just keep their opinions to themselves?

-Pips