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Five kids who couldn't wait to get their driver’s license

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The South African law states that you need to be 18 or over to be able to obtain a driver’s license. If you’d like to take a car out for a spin before such time, you’ll need a learner’s license and a licensed driver to join you, before you can set off.

However, we know how thrilling the roar of an engine can be, and that the call of the open road can be heard from an early age. These five children below were a little bit too excited to get a head-start on their driving careers, and while we do not condone driving under the legal age, it does depict how entrancing vehicles are to people of all ages. Kids, we seriously recommend that you do not try this at home!

1. This 8-year-old driver, with a goat in the back seat

A man in Auckland, New Zealand, took a video of a car that pulled up next to him with a few children inside. The person behind the wheel was a child of approximately 8 years old, with a goat in the back seat, as reported by the New Zealand Herald. When the man who took the video approached the car, a middle-aged man popped up from the back seat and said that the little boy was training and learning to drive. The spokesperson has since taken the matter to the Auckland police.


2. This boy who stole his parents’ car to buy McDonald’s

We all know how powerful a craving can be, but this 8-year-old boy from Ohio, USA, took it the next level. While his parents were sleeping, he took his dad’s van to go and get some cheeseburgers, with his sister in the back seat (according to Fox8). Witnesses who spotted the boy driving, said that he obeyed the rules of the road and drove within the speed limit; it was only after someone spotted the pair at McDonalds and called their grandparents, that they were caught. The boy told the police that he learned how to drive, by watching a YouTube tutorial.


3. This 12-year-old who drove his parents’ car over 800 miles

One Australian boy was so keen on adventure, he drove his parents’ car for over 14 hours, covering a total of 800 miles (1287km) before he was stopped by authorities. According to the New York Times, he was attempting to drive from his home in Kendall, New South Wales, to Perth, which is on the other side of the country. He was pulled over by police who noticed damage to the rear bumper of the SUV he was driving, and noticed that the driver was under-aged. His parents had reported him missing soon after he had left with the car.

4. This child who was the responsible adult in the family

It is against the law to text and drive, but you cannot remedy this by putting your 12-year-old child in the driver’s seat. Video footage from a highway in Mexico shows the above mentioned child driving a Mazda CX-5, while the parent is sitting in the passenger seat, texting, as reported by East Coast Radio.


5. This kid who drove during rush-hour traffic

Another viral video is from Arizona, USA, showing a young child driving a SUV in rush-hour traffic, while an adult man sits in the passenger seat, claiming to have his hand on the emergency break, FoxNews reports. Please be warned, the video below has graphic language.

 

While we understand the love one feels for the open road from an early age, we recommend waiting a few more years! For those licensed drivers who love having their hands on the wheel, head over to AutoTrader South Africa, SA’s leading media marketplace for the past 25 years, for buying and selling of vehicles.  Whether you’re looking to buy a brand new car, or in the market for a pre-loved model, AutoTrader has over 71 000 cars to choose from. 

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