The kid standing behind me in this photo, trying his hand at hair styling, is my oldest son Sebastian. (Don’t worry – he has already ruled out hair styling as a career option.) On September 30 he will turn 16. Yesterday he announced that we are going to the DMV to take his driver’s permit test on his birthday at 9:00 a.m., and he is driving us home.
For most parents, this rite of passage is worrisome. But for a guy who represents car accident victims, and deals with clients’ terrible car wreck injuries every day of the week, it’s grueling. My hair is already grayer than it was in this photo.
It is a well known fact that car accidents are the number one cause of death for kids his age. It is not such a well known fact that sixteen year old kids driving is the number one cause of grey hair in aging fathers.
Sure, I’ll take him for a spin on September 30. But I am not going to be his principle driving teacher. Why? He doesn’t always listen to me. I’m just his stupid dad, and what do I know? So I’m forking out the money to get him a real driving education from someone he will listen to.
And we’ll have strict rules even after he gets his license: No friends in his car. No radio playing. No nothing. Just drive and concentrate. Period. At least until he’s 18.
And any rule-breaking means driving privileges suspended.
Yes, I’m putting my foot down. And he had better not put his foot down (on that pedal, I mean).
If I’m lucky, he’ll never be my client. And he’ll never be sued by someone else’s client. Except maybe for hair-styling malpractice.
Keep safe!
Mike Bersani
Email me at: bersani@mbk-law.com I’d love to hear from you!
Michael G. Bersani, Esq.
mbk-law.com Central NY Car Accident Lawyers Michaels Bersani Kalabanka
1-315-253-3293