You want someone who owns their own car and drives regularly to school or work.

Germany's tests to get a license are pretty strict - but experience matters as well. A lot of people in major European cities don't even own a car.

You can pick a French girl who lives in a small town and started driving when she was 16. They learn to drive with a stick and French roads can be quite narrow compared to the US, so driving in the US is really easy

The Baltic Au Pairs. 2 months in driving school, very hard school (I didn't pass the first time) and state exams, stick shift for many, bad weather conditions, used to good and bad roads, and most women drive. So girls take it as normal thing to get their license asap. Also, plenty of empty spaces where to practice driving.
While driving accidents of the countries tell a different story, most are young men who get into accidents, not women.
I passed the US test easily and couldn't believe that "stop" and "yield" are written on the signs.

Anonymous wrote:I would not allow an inexperienced driver to drive my children. I am a skilled driver and have almost been hit many times by people who should not be behind the wheel of a vehicle. A vehicle becomes a weapon in the hands of the incompetent.

If this is the criteria, no one would host an aupair at all. They are inexperienced child care providers, drivers and english speakers by definition. Families host because they need a flexible and affordable childcare option. Sometimes that means crossing fingers or praying that the new 20-something driver who barely speaks english can drive the 3 miles from home to the school and back. I wish there were better options for everyone.

I would not allow an inexperienced driver to drive my children. I am a skilled driver and have almost been hit many times by people who should not be behind the wheel of a vehicle. A vehicle becomes a weapon in the hands of the incompetent.

For all the people saying Austria, I had an Austrian au pair who couldn't drive at all. She had a license, but she lived in Vienna and took public transit everywhere.

In general, regardless of country, the girls from small towns who have to drive to go anywhere are going to be better drivers than the ones who live in Berlin or Paris or any big city with public transit.

My best drivers were Colombian and Brazilian. Worst was Swedish--and we went with her because of her driving! Had a car acciden and could not even use GPS. I now ask my candidates how they figure out directions when they are planning to drive to a new place