First Dad to Let His 16-year-old Son Take a Driver’s License Test in a Tesla Cybertruck Raises Safety Concerns – “That’s a Lot of Acceleration for a 7,000 Pound of Steel”

A 15-year-old boy from Minnesota has become the first kid to take his driver’s license test in a Tesla Cybertruck. The prospect of a 15-year-old hitting the streets with a Cybertruck as his first vehicle has raised safety concerns.

Luke Soderling is a Cybertruck owner from Gilbert, Minnesota, and says he’s happy to allow his son to be the first kid in the world to take his driver’s license test in a Cybertruck.

Luke shared his story in the Cybertruck Owners Only group on Facebook.

Here is what he wrote…

“My son may be the first kid to take his driver's test in a Cybertruck! I took mine in a 15-year-old rusty E150 conversion van with a three on the tree. Kids these days are spoiled! I told him to see if he’s allowed to use FSD for the test. Lol.”

Below his post, Luke included a picture of his 15-year-old son sitting in the driver’s seat of a Cybertruck with a big smile on his face. Given that this is Minnesota, the Cybertruck is partially covered in snow, and the ground has turned into ice.

Going through the comments, the first thing most people wanted to know was whether Luke’s son, who took his driver’s license test in a Cybertruck, passed. The happy father says, “He passed!” and adds, “He’s the oldest of 5 boys, so this is just the beginning for us.”

Luke is certainly happy to provide a better life for his children than the circumstances in which he grew up. And there is nothing wrong with that.

Having said that, given the Cybertruck’s weight, acceleration, and sharp stainless steel exoskeleton, people were particularly worried about the prospects of a 15-year-old with a learner's permit hitting the roads in the all-electric truck.

For example, a group member, Alexander Chen, cautioned the young boy's father about the dangers of the Cybertruck in the hands of young people.

Alexander writes…

“Talk to your kids about safety and speeding. We lost three college freshmen in Piedmont, California, during the Thanksgiving break. Model citizens, but that’s a lot of acceleration for 7000 lbs of steel.”

This seems like a fair comment to make; however, a fellow Cybertruck owner, Chad Williams, responded by saying it’s not fair to blame the Cybertruck for the California accident where the three college students tragically lost their lives.

Chad writes…

“If they were smart enough to make it to college, then they were smart enough to know the dangers of speeding. These aren't some 15-year-old kids learning how to drive. They are full-grown adults. It's sad that they unalived themselves, but actions have consequences; I'm sure that it wasn't the first time they drove fast in that truck.”

This is certainly an interesting perspective. I wonder how many people support Chad’s point of view.

Overall, it’s nice to see a father sharing his success with his children, even if that’s by letting his son take a driver’s license test in a $100,000 Cybertruck. Having said that, the prospect of a 16-year-old hitting the roads in a Cybertruck as his first vehicle is also a bit scary.

Let me know how you feel about that in the comments. Share your ideas by clicking the red “Add new comment” button below. Also, visit our site, torquenews.com/Tesla, regularly for the latest updates.

Image: Courtesy of Tesla, inc.

For more information, check out: Tesla Cybertruck A/C Stops Working in the Middle of Canadian Cold – To Stop Himself From Freezing, The Cybertruck Owner Had to Drive on the Highway With Insulated Coat On

Tinsae Aregay has been following Tesla and the evolution of the EV space daily for several years. He covers everything about Tesla, from the cars to Elon Musk, the energy business, and autonomy. Follow Tinsae on Twitter at @TinsaeAregay for daily Tesla news.