Raise the Driving Age
May 09 '00
Pennsylvania (where I live) has made a wise decision in regards to teenagers and driving. For many years, a 16-year-old kid could get his permit on his birthday and his license within a few weeks in our state, little instruction needed. Now, a student getting his permit must have it for 6 months and have 50 hours of driving time (with an adult, not just another licensed driver).
I'm thrilled that they've made this change (and the timing is perfect as my daughter and her friends are turning 16), but I wish the state would have gone a step further and pushed the driving age to 18.
If I ruled the world, a high school diploma would be a requirement for a driver's license. I don't think high school kids should be driving. Raise your hand if you thought that, at 16 or 17, you were mature enough to drive. Be honest. I'm betting that most of you, on hindsight, don't believe you were ready to drive as a teenager. Of course there is the old excuse, "But I need my license so I can drive to work." Yet, these teens manage to get to their jobs before they get their license.
I believe that with their immaturity, many teens pick up unsafe driving habits as they begin learning to drive, and as with most habits, they are hard to break, even when you know better. Add to the mix that fact that most teens think they are invincible -- accidents and death happen to other people, not to them.
I'd like to see young people start driving with a little more maturity and a lot more responsibility. Sixteen-year-olds are still growing, emotionally and physically. Think of the many things we don't trust a teenager to do -- heck, legally, they can't even go to an R-rated movie! -- yet we let them drive. Judging by the number of high school kids who use my neighborhood street as a race track, ignoring the stop signs and the speed limits, enjoying the game of chicken they play with other drivers and the elementary school kids walking on the sidewalk, we're making a huge mistake by giving high school kids a driver's license.
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Epinions.com ID:
grumpifrog
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Member: Sue P
Reviews written: 74
Trusted by: 13 members
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