Have teenagers gone nuts? The Federal Highway Administration is reporting that the percentage of teenagers with driver's licenses is going down. Yeah, decreasing! What is up with that?
When I was growing up, my teenage years focused on just one objective... driving. All I wanted was to get my driver's license. That little card with your picture on it was the golden ticket. You could borrow your parent's car, fill the tank (and grab a candy bar) for $20, and nobody could reach you until you returned. We didn't have cell phones, text messaging or GPS tracking. A driver's license represented freedom.
So, what happened? Experts aren't blaming unmotivated teenagers. Instead, they point the finger at the environment in which we are raising our kids. In today's world, parents are much more likely to chauffeur their teenagers from place to place. Tighter state laws govern when kids can drive, and in many cases legislation has pushed the driving age limit higher. Fewer high schools are offering driver's education classes, forcing parents to pay for more expensive private instruction, and steeper rates are making insurance cost-prohibitive for the high-risk teen-age category. Top it all off with gasoline at more than three-dollars per gallon, and maybe a driver's license just doesn't represent what it used to.
[Source: New York Times]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
Quattroporte @ Feb 29th 2008 11:41AM
I'm 17 and still only have a permit because I don't have to pay insurance. I'm covered by parent's insurance while not actually being on their insurance or having my own.
John @ Feb 29th 2008 11:44AM
Many factors at play here: tougher laws, expensive insurance, expensive gas, teens spending money on tech toys not cars, to name a few.
Its fine by me. If you've seen the death rate for 16-17 year old drivers and the accidents they cause I'm in no hurry to see them on the road anyways.
geo.stewart @ Feb 29th 2008 2:42PM
delaying the inevitable.
an inexperienced driver is an inexperienced driver no matter the age 16 or 18.
the cure is more stringent driving tests, required instruction time, and a field test that takes 5 hrs instead of 5 minutes.
Irfan @ Feb 29th 2008 4:54PM
its not just the experience, its the maturity. When I got my license at 16 I sped like crazy, for fun. 10 years later I dont go more than 9 over. Had I gotten my license at 20 instead of 16, I feel Id have endangered much fewer lives per year. yes a 20 year old wouldnt necessarily be a "good" driver, but they have a higher chance of being a responsible one.
rgseidl @ Feb 29th 2008 11:48AM
In continental Europe, you have to be 18 before you can take your driving test - typically in a car with a manual transmission. Teenagers get rides, drive scooters, ride bikes or use public transportation. Looks like that's where the US is now headed as well.
Cortez @ Feb 29th 2008 12:54PM
That doesnt matther if you learn whit manual or automatic,its just a regulation.
WarHawk @ Feb 29th 2008 11:48AM
It's because it costs now to take the classes, and it is starting to get expensive for a 16 yr old ($300+) for everything required. The classes aren't free people.
nagmashot @ Feb 29th 2008 12:10PM
you call that expansive? That would not pay the test allone in Germany .. not to talk about the minimum drive training hours you need to drive with a drive teacher... a licens in Germany cost you ~2,000Euro today... that are based on current exchange rate.. ~$ 3,020 ... and you only get it on 2year qualifying period.. one bad mistake (accident/speeding/driving drunk) in the 2 years and the licens is gone and you have to redo it..
3cubed minus 3squared plus1 @ Feb 29th 2008 1:50PM
Exactly why I waited until I was eighteen to get my license. I still drove when ever my mom needed something from the store and to school.
WarHawk @ Feb 29th 2008 4:52PM
We don't have the autobahn, and they do their best to make driving here idiot proof, even though plenty of people screw up on the roads.
mikeyt @ Feb 29th 2008 11:49AM
I agree with you all the way Michael, getting my drivers license was such a huge goal as a teen... the thought of having parents chauffer me around didn't quite cut it.
@quattroporte - do you get to drive their quattroporte? hehe =P
Papi L-Gee @ Feb 29th 2008 11:53AM
My parents made sure I got my license at 16 (back in 1999). They needed someone else in the house to run errands and chauffeur my little brothers around.
I'm still glad I got my license before Virginia pushed the minimum driving age up 8 months.
Frylock350 @ Feb 29th 2008 11:54AM
Wow parents these days are weird. My parents wouldn't drive me around for anything after I turned 16. They also wouldn't give me anymore money after I could drive (and thusly get a job). And they made me buy my own car, pay my insurance, pay for my repairs, etc. All of that taught me responsibility and independence, something today's kids lack. It also helped me realize the value of money so I wasn't so flippant with it like most kids are these days.
But barring that, I couldn't wait to get my license. It meant I could go somewhere on my own terms and my own time. And it meant no more city bus to get to school.
Rjo @ Feb 29th 2008 11:55AM
Yeah Im 16 and I went thru a bunch of b.s. to get it but the day I turned 16 I got my licence.
Throwback @ Feb 29th 2008 11:55AM
I hear you, I got my permit the day I turned 16, many years ago. However when my kids reach driving age I will regulate their driving. They will only be able to drive during the day with me. My state has graduated licenses, but even if they didn't I will be very strict about when they can drive. There are too many cars and bad drivers on the road today. This trend actually makes me feel good, kids need to be eased into driving.
Quattroporte @ Feb 29th 2008 12:00PM
@mikeyt
Yes I do get drive in my car that everyone says looks like a Buick, as long as there is a licenced adult in the passenger seat.
ALEXDB9 @ Feb 29th 2008 12:03PM
I got my license as soon as I could. I got it the day I turned 16 back in 2004. I am obsessed with cars so, I had to get it as soon as I was eligible.
Brendon @ Feb 29th 2008 12:04PM
Im a 16 year old who just got his permit and I've been counting down the days since I was 14... in Pennsylvania we have free online courses and free driving instruction.
I think another thing is fear. A lot of my friends are actually afraid of driving.
but the desire is still there for some people (like me). I drove on the highway and paralell parked in the city with a manual the first day I had my permit.
But hey, the less drivers the better.
GT @ Feb 29th 2008 12:05PM
Insurance is definitely the killer...I would get one if it wasn't so discriminatory and outrageously high...
Frylock350 @ Feb 29th 2008 12:05PM
Well it DOES look like Buick, which in my mind is a good thing. Buicks have a style that's both bold and conservative. Its very appropriate for a Quattroporte as well.
If I ever end up with youngin's I am buying a car with a manual trans for them to learn on. When driving absolutely requires 2 hands, they can't text, eat, read business memos and all the other stupid s*** people do. A 5sp HHR (not the turbo one) should do just nicely as its practical, not too fast, good on gas, and reliable.