For the last few months, I've been allowing my 14 year old son drive around in our apartment complex's parking lot, with me in the passenger seat. As you might guess, he isn't old enough to apply for a learner's permit, and so he would be in quite a bit of trouble if a cop were to catch us. Last week we nearly got into an accident with another car that would clearly have been the other driver's fault. At the time I was convinced that, if we did have an accident, I should switch places with my son and assume any fault. Would it be ethical for me to take the wrap for him?
--Anonymous
I admit, this is a tough one. The short answer, though, is that no, it would not be ethical to lie to the other driver or to the police about who was operating your vehicle.
In such a case, I can't deny that you're caught in a difficult situation (which I should point out is entirely of your own making): you have, on the one hand, an obligation to be truthful to the other driver as well as to the police; on the other hand, there are serious responsibilities that come along with being a parent, which includes looking after your child's best interests.
Still, while you are required to look out for your son, that obligation does not extend so far as to permit you to intentionally deceive other people about a crime just to make life easier for him. Let us not forget that while you, as the adult, should never have offered this opportunity, your son knew full well that he was breaking the law.
Finally, you should remember that your moral obligation doesn't stop at simply refraining from lying. Since you, as the adult and legal guardian, bear a significant portion of the responsibility for your child's predicament, you are also obligated to do what you can to minimize the affect this has on him, which might include helping to pay his fine, explaining to the police or a judge your involvement and, most importantly, apologizing to your son.
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