My dad has let me steer before and it was before the age of 8, dunno when. But all I know is that my mum let me drive her 1.8 Triumph Acclaim by myself when I was 8 or 9. By myself with her in the passenger seat, wooooo. I kangaroo'd first time, but second time I hit about 20 miles an hour down a 30 metre drive
She was screaming brake, and I stopped 2 inches from the garage door. Funnily enough, she never let me drive again. Then went out on my 17 birthday with my dad in his fiesta...
Dave