56% Think 16 Is Too Young to Drive

[RonPaulFanInGA]

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/lifestyle/general_lifestyle/october_2013/56_think_16_is_too_young_to_drive


Most adults think someone should be older than 16 before they are eligible for a driver's license. Most also favor annual driving tests once someone reaches the age of 75.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that four percent (4%) think someone should be allowed to get a driver’s license at age 15, while 38% feel 16 is the appropriate age. But 56% believe the eligibility age should be higher, with 20% who say 17, 32% who favor 18 and four percent (4%) who prefer 21.

[phill4paul]

I wish ageism were as frowned upon as racism.

[Uriah]

IMO, most people under the age of 18 are too immature to handle vehicles on public roads. Insurance rates are indicative on this issue.

[RonPaulFanInGA]

IMO, most people under the age of 18 are too immature to handle vehicles on public roads. Insurance rates are indicative on this issue.

A normal 16-year-old behind the wheel might be more of a wreck threat than an experienced drunk driver. I don't feel like looking up the U.S. statistics now though.

[cajuncocoa]

16 is not what it used to be.

[Seraphim]

This is more of the concern, to be honest.

That's the trend anyway.


16 is not what it used to be.

[Smart3]

If you can physically operate a vehicle, you should be able to drive. It shouldn't be by age, it should be by ability.

I do agree however, that most 16 year olds are not fit to drive.

[ZENemy]

Age is far less important (to an extent) than education, training and discipline. A sixteen year old can be more mature than that 40 year old "Lemme borrow 10 bucks" uncle everyone has.

The kids in this video are a great example :)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZwmluSn_T0

[Working Poor]

I did not let my son get a drivers license until he was 18.

[cajuncocoa]

I did not let my son get a drivers license until he was 18.

Same here. We have "learner's permits" in Louisiana where you can drive with a licensed driver. Both of my boys got the permits at 17 and hubby and I monitored them for the full year.

Did anyone else find the experience of being in a vehicle driven by your teenage kid to be a scary one at first?? :eek:

[2young2vote]

Why do we need licenses again? You are going to become a better driver the more you drive, regardless of whether you have a license or not.

[cajuncocoa]

Why do we need licenses again? You are going to become a better driver the more you drive, regardless of whether you have a license or not.
True. I'm not advocating for licenses, just that 16 isn't what it used to be in terms of maturity level; therefore postponing driving privileges (as a parent) may be something to consider.

[RonPaulFanInGA]

Why do we need licenses again? You are going to become a better driver the more you drive, regardless of whether you have a license or not.

If filling up at the local gas station has taught me anything, it's that "driving is a privilege; not a right."

(There's a bunch of flyers by the gas pumps of a really angry-looking Georgia State Patrol officer with a warning about losing your license if you're caught stealing gas.)

[jbauer]

If you can physically operate a vehicle, you should be able to drive. It shouldn't be by age, it should be by ability.

I do agree however, that most 16 year olds are not fit to drive.

Probably a felony now but I was driving tractor at a very young age. Driving a car at 16 was no biggy.

[dannno]

Why do we need licenses again? You are going to become a better driver the more you drive, regardless of whether you have a license or not.

This.

As Peter Schiff might say, you think we should raise the driver's license age to 21? Why not 30 or 40? Why not just ban driving?

[dannno]

I started taking my learner's permit courses as soon as I turned 15, then got my learner's permit as soon I could finish the classes.

Got my license on my 16th birthday.

[Anti Federalist]

Exercising petty power.

The ability to boss people around is a powerful drug.

[Natural Citizen]

IMO, most people under the age of 18 are too immature to handle vehicles on public roads. Insurance rates are indicative on this issue.

I don't think it's fair to place insurance rates into a position to premise the terms of controversy. Their very model is one of growth. Not survival.

One thing I'd say is that this is the first generation in some time where technology itself keeps them off of the roads. There's just no need to go any place any more when you have the world at your fingertips. Live and in living color too. This is an interesting social phenomenon as we transist culturally and industrial age logic survives by the skin of it's teeth in the age of information. Any social misperceptions that have been sold to people (the insurance pocket raping is a great example of this) that would solicit a prescibed and generally accepted view of youth are changing. Even if we can't see it or just don't want to look.

[ronpaulfollower999]

I got my learners when I was 16 and didn't get my DL until the day after I turned 18. Ruined my chance with a smoking hot girl (but looking back she wasn't all that worth it).

I think even some 18 y/o are too immature to drive. And then you have the over 65 crowd...

[fr33]

I was driving when I was 10. Operating heavy machinery too.

[Natural Citizen]

I was driving when I was 10. Operating heavy machinery too.

Heck, my kid can back a trailer through a development with cars on both sides of the road. Making money doing it too. So I see your point.

[ronpaulfollower999]

I was driving when I was 10. Operating heavy machinery too.

That probably works out in the country or rural areas, but good luck trying to get away with that in the cities.

[donnay]

Same here. We have "learner's permits" in Louisiana where you can drive with a licensed driver. Both of my boys got the permits at 17 and hubby and I monitored them for the full year.

Did anyone else find the experience of being in a vehicle driven by your teenage kid to be a scary one at first?? :eek:


I still don't let my adult children drive me! :eek:

[specsaregood]

I still don't let my adult children drive me! :eek:

My parents couldn't wait. Got my permit the day I turned 15 and license when 16. My parents regularly took naps in the car while I was driving em around with just my permit. Course we were rural kids with years of time driving cars, trucks, tractors, atvs on our road and land, well before we could get a license/permit.

[donnay]

My parents couldn't wait. Got my permit the day I turned 15 and license when 16. My parents regularly took naps in the car while I was driving em around with just my permit. Course we were rural kids with years of time driving cars, trucks, tractors, atvs on our road and land, well before we could get a license/permit.


Oh I couldn't wait to drive. Got my learners at 15 and on my 16th birthday, I was off to the DMV office. I love to drive, I would rather drive so I do. The only one I have no issues with driving is my husband. He is a safe driver.

As a side note* My oldest son was not really as excited or interested in getting his license.

[Keith and stuff]

We don't have learner's permits (i.e. an additional tax) in New Hampshire. Because of that, you don't need a driver's license to drive. So if you are 15.5 or older and never had a driver's license, you may driver, as long as there is someone 25 or older in the passenger seat and if pulled over, you say you are learning how to drive.

I don't know of any other state without the learner's permit tax. I don't know of any other state where adults are able to drive without a driver's license. We even used to have an awful law where elderly drivers had to be retested on their 75th birthday. It was a shameful law and I'd glad it's gone! There is no reason why someone should have to have a license or take a test to drive. We have a right to drive! The roads are our roads!
3/3/2011 H Committee Report: Ought to Pass for Mar 15 (Vote 14-0; CC); HC 22, pg.542
3/17/2011 H Ought to Pass: MA VV by Required Two-Thirds; HJ 30, PG.1035
4/14/2011 S Committee Report: Ought to Pass, 4/20/11; SC20
4/20/2011 S Ought to Pass, MA, VV; OT3rdg; SJ 13, Pg.269
5/20/2011 H Signed by Governor 05/16/2011; Effective 07/15/2011; Chapter 0079
http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/bill_Status/bill_docket.aspx?lsr=56&sy=2011&sortoption=&txtsessionyear=2011&txttitle=license

[VoluntaryAmerican]

I think the problem with young drivers a lot of time is that the parents buy them their cars... Then they treat it like shit and act crazy because it was something that was handed to them and not something they busted their ass for.

[heavenlyboy34]

I think the problem with young drivers a lot of time is that the parents buy them their cars... Then they treat it like shit and act crazy because it was something that was handed to them and not something they busted their ass for.
This is how it worked with my sis^^. Consequently, her car is always loaded with junk and quite poorly maintained.

[heavenlyboy34]

We don't have learner's permits (i.e. an additional tax) in New Hampshire. Because of that, you don't need a driver's license to drive. So if you are 15.5 or older and never had a driver's license, you may driver, as long as there is someone 25 or older in the passenger seat and if pulled over, you say you are learning how to drive.

I don't know of any other state without the learner's permit tax. I don't know of any other state where adults are able to drive without a driver's license. We even used to have an awful law where elderly drivers had to be retested on their 75th birthday. It was a shameful law and I'd glad it's gone! There is no reason why someone should have to take a license or take a test to drive. We have a right to drive! The roads are our roads!
3/3/2011 H Committee Report: Ought to Pass for Mar 15 (Vote 14-0; CC); HC 22, pg.542
3/17/2011 H Ought to Pass: MA VV by Required Two-Thirds; HJ 30, PG.1035
4/14/2011 S Committee Report: Ought to Pass, 4/20/11; SC20
4/20/2011 S Ought to Pass, MA, VV; OT3rdg; SJ 13, Pg.269
5/20/2011 H Signed by Governor 05/16/2011; Effective 07/15/2011; Chapter 0079
http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/bill_Status/bill_docket.aspx?lsr=56&sy=2011&sortoption=&txtsessionyear=2011&txttitle=license
At first glance, you're right. But the roads really aren't "our" roads. They are State property with socialized costs/privatized benefits. Isn't fascism grand?

[Keith and stuff]

At first glance, you're right. But the roads really aren't "our" roads. They are State property with socialized costs/privatized benefits. Isn't fascism grand?

They are our roads! We are the local government (at least in NH) and have a state rep. for every 3,000 people. I know dozens of state reps. They aren't going to mess with our roads. They aren't going to require learner's permits, driver's licenses, auto insurance or seat belt use. They better not! These are our roads that we pay for!

Unfortunately, they are starting to lose it and we need to remind them that we are in control.

[thoughtomator]

Is this hypothetical 16-year-old driver male or female?

[heavenlyboy34]

They are our roads! We are the local government (at least in NH) and have a state rep. for every 3,000 people. I know dozens of state reps. They aren't going to mess with our roads. They aren't going to require learner's permits, driver's licenses, auto insurance or seat belt use. They better not! These are our roads that we pay for!

Unfortunately, they are starting to lose it and we need to remind them that we are in control.
LMFAO!! :D Your local roads are only partly "yours". The US DOT could seize them if they wanted and monopolize them as they do the highway system. They already "regulate" the shit out of interstate commerce (our bud AF can attest to this, I reckon). Nothing prevents them from going further.

If you don't have a deed or some other proof of ownership, dem roads ain't "yours".

[cajuncocoa]

I think the problem with young drivers a lot of time is that the parents buy them their cars... Then they treat it like shit and act crazy because it was something that was handed to them and not something they busted their ass for.

OMG, yes. My Dad made me buy my own car and pay for my own insurance. When it came time for my boys to drive, I did the same with them. It DOES make a difference.

[Anti Federalist]

LMFAO!! :D Your local roads are only partly "yours". The US DOT could seize them if they wanted and monopolize them as they do the highway system. They already "regulate" the shit out of interstate commerce (our bud AF can attest to this, I reckon). Nothing prevents them from going further.

If you don't have a deed or some other proof of ownership, dem roads ain't "yours".

That was built into the Interstate highway system from the get go, and the power to seize all roads is written into a bunch of national security EOs

[Tod]

How about letting parents decide whether their kid is mature enough to handle the responsibility?

[Anti Federalist]

How about letting parents decide whether their kid is mature enough to handle the responsibility?

Disallowed, Mundane.

[Anti Federalist]

"Sorry, guys, the rebellion is off. We couldn't get a rebellion permit."

+rep

[Keith and stuff]

LMFAO!! :D Your local roads are only partly "yours". The US DOT could seize them if they wanted and monopolize them as they do the highway system. They already "regulate" the shit out of interstate commerce (our bud AF can attest to this, I reckon). Nothing prevents them from going further.

If you don't have a deed or some other proof of ownership, dem roads ain't "yours".
I'd love the federal DOT to take the state highway outside of my house. That would mean less taxes right? I'm sick and tired of paying less than $100 a year to register my car! What the hell!

[thoughtomator]

I'd love the federal DOT to take the state highway outside of my house. That would mean less taxes right? I'm sick and tired of paying less than $100 a year to register my car! What the hell!

I don't get why we need to be registering any property at all with the government. What's it anyone else's business what kind of car, if any, that I have?

[NorthCarolinaLiberty]

License. Whatever. Most people are piss poor drivers with no understanding of basic physics. Next time you're out, count the percentage of people who are traveling 55mph and 2 car lengths behind the vehicle right in front of them.

[thoughtomator]

License. Whatever. Most people are piss poor drivers with no understanding of basic physics. Next time you're out, count the percentage of people who are traveling 55mph and 2 car lengths behind the vehicle right in front of them.

half of that is people deliberately causing dangerous situations in order to get the other guy to move first... I know way too many people who are well aware of the physics yet still habitually ride bumpers.

[I<3Liberty]

I'm super sleep deprived, so at first glance I thought this said "56% Think 16 is Too Young to Die" and I'm like WTH is this about? :rolleyes:

In PA, you have to be 16 to take your permit test. It's kind of funny how much it varies from state to state; like there's a big difference between a 15.5 year old and a 16 year old being qualified to pass a permit test. :rolleyes: More focus needs to be on abilities rather than age.

I remember my permit test was long delayed because I had a B- in chemistry at the time. Even though the course was just rough and the class average was lower than my grade, my parents were like "YOU AREN'T DOING ANYTHING UNTIL YOUR CHEMISTRY GRADE GOES UP!" :mad: I was grounded from everything (including going to the DMV), lectured endlessly about the importance of chemistry, and it sucked pretty badly.

[NorthCarolinaLiberty]

half of that is people deliberately causing dangerous situations in order to get the other guy to move first... I know way too many people who are well aware of the physics yet still habitually ride bumpers.

Yeah, you're probably right about the aggression. That's yet another reason I never ride with anybody. Out of all the people in life I have known fairly well, only three were really good drivers.

[Christian Liberty]

As far as licenses go, my rule is "If you are driving safely you should be left alone, on the other hand, if you are actively creating a danger for other drivers, you should not." And ultimately "Privatize the roads."

Now, personally I know I still don't drive too well, but I also haven't had much practice, and I struggle with my coordination. So I recognize that some people my age drive far better than me.

[MelissaWV]

I started taking my learner's permit courses as soon as I turned 15, then got my learner's permit as soon I could finish the classes.

Got my license on my 16th birthday.

Same.


I think the problem with young drivers a lot of time is that the parents buy them their cars... Then they treat it like shit and act crazy because it was something that was handed to them and not something they busted their ass for.

This. Granted, once upon a time I thought getting into a car payment was a good idea, but I was the one making the payments and paying the insurance.

* * *

I think there is a place for certifications, which in turn will lower insurance rates, if there are not to be licenses.

[asurfaholic]

Bought my first jeep when I was 14. Had lic by 16.

Never had an at fault accident- and the wrecks that I did have were the result of some adult driving like a maniac.

Seems to me like a case of people worrying about the splinter in someone else's eye, ignoring the plank in their own.

But I would really like to see people who blast their boom boxes as high on volume as possible get new restrictions. I'm usually for less laws, but if you are sitting multiple car lengths behind me, and your radio is making my windows shake... That is just annoying, distracting, and should be a crime.

[69360]

My 13 year old daughter can drive as well as any adult and drives a standard well. My 11 year old can move an automatic car around. It's a good skill to know in case of an emergency or if shtf. I could drive at that age as well. They can drive on the road with me in the car at 15 and get a license at 16. That seems about right. There isn't a lot of traffic here.

[tod evans]

But I would really like to see people who blast their boom boxes as high on volume as possible get new restrictions. I'm usually for less laws, but if you are sitting multiple car lengths behind me, and your radio is making my windows shake... That is just annoying, distracting, and should be a crime.

More laws are not the answer, however there are two options besides sitting there and putting up with it.

1) Being older and wealthier you have the option of "out rocking" them with music you find more acceptable.

2) Get out of your car and shut 'em down..(This'll cause the NAP folks to be in an uproar)

In other words handle it yourself, fuck more laws, fuck involving cops....

[qh4dotcom]

I recall there are folks here who think 16 year olds should have the right to keep and bear arms.

A car is a deadly weapon like a gun. If a 16 year old can be trusted with a gun, then it's Ok for a 16 year old to own and drive a car.

[tod evans]

I recall there are folks here who think 16 year olds should have the right to keep and bear arms.

A car is a deadly weapon like a gun. If a 16 year old can be trusted with a gun, then it's Ok for a 16 year old to own and drive a car.

Every kid is different, the parents not the government should make the decision, and assume liability for their decision.

[MRK]

So the solution to make new drivers better drivers is to make them start driving later in life when it is more difficult for them to learn how to drive?

What could go wrong?

[Slutter McGee]

I still don't let my adult children drive me! :eek:

Wait until you are older and there is no way your adult children will let you drive them.

Slutter McGee

[oyarde]

I'm super sleep deprived, so at first glance I thought this said "56% Think 16 is Too Young to Die" and I'm like WTH is this about? :rolleyes:

In PA, you have to be 16 to take your permit test. It's kind of funny how much it varies from state to state; like there's a big difference between a 15.5 year old and a 16 year old being qualified to pass a permit test. :rolleyes: More focus needs to be on abilities rather than age.

I remember my permit test was long delayed because I had a B- in chemistry at the time. Even though the course was just rough and the class average was lower than my grade, my parents were like "YOU AREN'T DOING ANYTHING UNTIL YOUR CHEMISTRY GRADE GOES UP!" :mad: I was grounded from everything (including going to the DMV), lectured endlessly about the importance of chemistry, and it sucked pretty badly.

If it makes you feel better, I got a WF ( withdrawal failure) in Biology one semester at 15 for cutting class, never even got a C in Chemistry..... I still turned out OK, I do not even listen to the voices in my head :)

[specsaregood]

So the solution to make new drivers better drivers is to make them start driving later in life when it is more difficult for them to learn how to drive?

What could go wrong?

Think today's generation doesn't have a strong work ethic? The solution is clearly to take away one of the tools necessary to get to and hold a job and get to start working later in life. What could go wrong?

[oyarde]

I recall there are folks here who think 16 year olds should have the right to keep and bear arms.

A car is a deadly weapon like a gun. If a 16 year old can be trusted with a gun, then it's Ok for a 16 year old to own and drive a car.

I was driving @ 16 , had two vehicles that I pd for and pd my insurance. I was also at that age an experienced hunter , fisherman , trapper , tracker, I was paying taxes at 15 , in the Army at 17 , could not vote though , lol not old enough.....

[oyarde]

Every kid is different, the parents not the government should make the decision, and assume liability for their decision.

I agree.My Dad sent me down to see his insurance man....

[tod evans]

I agree.My Dad sent me down to see his insurance man....

As it should be.

[pcosmar]

That probably works out in the country or rural areas, but good luck trying to get away with that in the cities.

I was driving at 12,, I was driving a wrecker at 15,, I got my drivers license at 16.

When I got my first car,, there was no mandatory Insurance. I signed a Financial Responsibility contract.


I recall there are folks here who think 16 year olds should have the right to keep and bear arms.

At 12 yrs old I was Riding my bike to Turkey Shoots with a .303 Brit over my shoulder.

[SilentBull]

I guess it makes sense. I heard about a study done that talked about people in their 20s not being mature enough yet. The purpose of the study was apparently to promote the idea that those in their 20s should still be considered kids and to remove the pressure from them to grow up, get jobs, and a family. Made me freaking sick. Nothing I hate more than these adult children that liberals are helping to create.

[pcosmar]

I think there is a place for certifications, which in turn will lower insurance rates, if there are not to be licenses.

Doubts.. Insurance rates doubled in two states that I watched when they made it Mandatory,, (at the intense lobbying of Insurance companies)

The only thing that would bring rates down is some honest competition and a free market.. I would love to see insurance become voluntary again too,, that and competition would drive prices down.

[tangent4ronpaul]

Come on peeps! - I learned to drive a tractor when I was like 8....

-t

[tangent4ronpaul]

Come on peeps! - I learned to drive a tractor when I was like 8....

-t

[MelissaWV]

Doubts.. Insurance rates doubled in two states that I watched when they made it Mandatory,, (at the intense lobbying of Insurance companies)

The only thing that would bring rates down is some honest competition and a free market.. I would love to see insurance become voluntary again too,, that and competition would drive prices down.

My point would only exist in an actual free market. You can currently get an insurance discount for taking a driving class of some sort (even for adults, a lot of defensive driving schools count). I would extend this concept to a world without mandatory licensure required to drive a car. It would behoove insurance companies to have some sort of means to demonstrate to themselves that people are safe and decent drivers with a fundamental knowledge of how to handle a variety of conditions, etc., therefore it would be smart to provide some kind of incentive. In other words, while you wouldn't be legally required to show a license, you might need to have gone through something very similar to drivers' ed./defensive driving courses in order to qualify for the lowest base insurance rate.

[heavenlyboy34]

I guess it makes sense. I heard about a study done that talked about people in their 20s not being mature enough yet. The purpose of the study was apparently to promote the idea that those in their 20s should still be considered kids and to remove the pressure from them to grow up, get jobs, and a family. Made me freaking sick. Nothing I hate more than these adult children that liberals are helping to create.
Teh "conservatives" ain't helping much. :( My sister is 30. The conservative Republican parents never pressured her to grow up. So, to this day she lives with the parents rent-free with a part time job watching TV most of the day and night. There are just far too many people who accept welfarism as "okay" in general. :(

[chudrockz]

Hell, in my hometown it seems like three-quarters of drivers, regardless of age, gender, sobriety or lack thereof, or any other factor that I can think of, are unfit to drive.

[69360]

I recall there are folks here who think 16 year olds should have the right to keep and bear arms.

A car is a deadly weapon like a gun. If a 16 year old can be trusted with a gun, then it's Ok for a 16 year old to own and drive a car.

You can legally own a gun here in Maine at 16 if it is transferred to you by a parent. 18 otherwise. That seems about right.

[opal]

I learned when I was 13 - before dad would teach any of us to drive, we had to be able to change tires - put chains on for snow.. change oil - alternator belt - wiper blades - and I think replace radiator hoses.. that might have been later though - I'm the oldest of 3 girls - all of us had to do that.. permit at 15 - license at 16 on my birthday.
I knew a girl in Louisiana that started driving on mostly open fields and not so open fields when she was 9 - had her first 17 wrecks before she got her license - the kids used the old family beaters to play bumpercars in wet mud - no license required and good practice to avoid other drivers.
re old folks.. I live in God's waiting room.. Florida - and ya know, annual eye sight tests is a good idea.

[catfeathers]

I'm glad in a way that KY has a no pass/no drive law. It will keep my nephew off the roads for a couple more years. :D

[oyarde]

You can legally own a gun here in Maine at 16 if it is transferred to you by a parent. 18 otherwise. That seems about right.

I was buying them way before that.Started with a bow , then a pellet rifle before my Father allowed me to buy a shotgun or rifle .

[bolil]

Where do they even get these numbers? I mean, "56%," is a pretty exact number. WHERE THE FUCK did it come from?

Hooey.

[heavenlyboy34]

Where do they even get these numbers? I mean, "56%," is a pretty exact number. WHERE THE FUCK did it come from?

Hooey.
Teh magic of statistics! :D

[ClydeCoulter]

Where do they even get these numbers? I mean, "56%," is a pretty exact number. WHERE THE FUCK did it come from?

Hooey.

What number would you like it to be, and how much is it worth to you?

[ClydeCoulter]

You can drive here without a license at 14 (I think) if it's the farm truck or tractor. My son has been driving since 14 to do those "feed the cows and check their water" kinds of things. But, he has to be 16 1/2 to get his license (16 for permit).

[bolil]

You can drive here without a license at 14 (I think) if it's the farm truck or tractor. My son has been driving since 14 to do those "feed the cows and check their water" kinds of things. But, he has to be 16 1/2 to get his license (16 for permit).

I am jealous, I wish I had come up on a farm. I worked on a farm for two days, once. Shoveling corn out of a bin and moving hay bails. I loved it. I'll never forget the farmer who paid me to do the work either, never.

[dannno]

Come on peeps! - I learned to drive a tractor when I was like 8....

-t

Ya I was driving stick shift 4WD trucks when I was 8 or 9 out on dirt trails in the snow with my older brother. The irony is I still can't drive a stick for shit.

[RickyJ]

I think 14 is fine. Heck, if a kid is mostly fully grown and has demonstrated that they are a good driver, why not let them drive legally? Sure inexperienced drivers are more likely to have accidents, that is because they are inexperienced, not really because they are too young to drive.

[bolil]

I think 14 is fine. Heck, if a kid is mostly fully grown and has demonstrated that they are a good driver, why not let them drive legally? Sure inexperienced drivers are more likely to have accidents, that is because they are inexperienced, not really because they are too young to drive.

Another arbitrary bullshit law. As though something magical happens to a brain at sixteen that imbues it with the ability to drive responsibly WITHOUT experience.

[ClydeCoulter]

I think 14 is fine. Heck, if a kid is mostly fully grown and has demonstrated that they are a good driver, why not let them drive legally? Sure inexperienced drivers are more likely to have accidents, that is because they are inexperienced, not really because they are too young to drive.

Watch it @RickyJ, sounds like you don't like that government should decide instead of parents who might know their children.

[PRB]

I wish ageism were as frowned upon as racism.

Yeah, imagine how many 14 year old girls would be fair game.

[Ender]

I think 14 is fine. Heck, if a kid is mostly fully grown and has demonstrated that they are a good driver, why not let them drive legally? Sure inexperienced drivers are more likely to have accidents, that is because they are inexperienced, not really because they are too young to drive.

In Nebraska the driving age is 14- most kids are driving tractor much younger than that. 14 year olds used to be marriageable and run farms or businesses- kids today are forced to stay babies and then suddenly expected to be grown-ups and have their own apartment at 18.

[Keith and stuff]

Why do we need licenses again? You are going to become a better driver the more you drive, regardless of whether you have a license or not.

Than don't get a 1. We don't even have learner's permits in New Hampshire and you don't need a DL either. If someone over the age of 25 is in the passenger seat, you can drive with their DL. No need to ever get 1.

As for age to drive, 14 seems fine to me. Just charge more for under 18 folks that want a license and make the test much harder than a standard test. The best solution is to get the government out of the business, entirely. Let the free market decide.

[Christian Liberty]

Teh magic of statistics! :D

91% of statistics are made up on the spot;)

[PRB]

91% of statistics are made up on the spot;)
but 50% of them are 100% true

[DamianTV]

In a couple of years when self driving cars are commonplace, the legal driving age will be raised to 35 years old. Yep, completely counterintuitive, but thats what happens when Technology meets Politics, they corrupt each other.