Is getting a drivers license too easy in the US?

[Bubba1235]

My state (MO) is again talking about more restrictions for teen drivers. (Limited night time, max of two passengers, etc.) Looking at the stats. car accidents are the number one killer of teens in the US and I am wondering if instead of restrictions should getting a drivers license be a lot tougher as it is in many European Countries that have a death per 100,000 that is less than a third of what it is in the US?

 

[rockyrude]

Re: Is getting a drivers license to easy in the US?

Re: Is getting a drivers license to easy in the US?

I agree, it should be tougher to get a license. Unfortunately, here in the U.S. driving is considered a right instead of a priveledge.

 

[JRJ]

Re: Is getting a drivers license to easy in the US?

Re: Is getting a drivers license to easy in the US?

Actually, I don't notice teens being bad drivers as much as people my age :facepalm: The other day driving in the neighborhood (25mph zone), kids and bikes and walkers about, some old fool passes me in a big hurry, oblivious to everyone...........maybe he had a good reason, but he sure looked stupid and dangerous.

 

[jkust]

Re: Is getting a drivers license to easy in the US?

Re: Is getting a drivers license to easy in the US?

Actually, I don't notice teens being bad drivers as much as people my age :facepalm: The other day driving in the neighborhood (25mph zone), kids and bikes and walkers about, some old fool passes me in a big hurry, oblivious to everyone...........maybe he had a good reason, but he sure looked stupid and dangerous.

Wow I couldn't disagree stronger. The teens I see just driving around town are absolutley terrible drivers. Just yesterday while taking a left the teen driver crept out into the intersection while texting nearly hitting me. Just blatantly incapable of driving with any modicum of safety or awareness. I could go on and on as to the poor driving on the part of these young drivers. Distracted driving is only a small par of the issues I see.

 

[roscoe]

Re: Is getting a drivers license to easy in the US?

Re: Is getting a drivers license to easy in the US?

Absolutely.
Its been getting easier to get a license for years.
I read a couple written tests about 5 years ago, and it was like fuzzy spelling, way easier than 30 years ago.

My wife (ex) took her driving test in a parking lot, 5 minutes.

Way too easy for people to keep their license too.
I think everyone should be road tested every 2 years, to prove they can still control a vehicle.

 

[Cadwelder]

Re: Is getting a drivers license to easy in the US?

Re: Is getting a drivers license to easy in the US?

It like anything else, with experience comes skill level. The reason teens have more accidents is they haven't been driving long. Most likely if the legal driving age was raised to 21, you see the stats say "21 year old drivers are the main cause of accidents"

Now true as you get older you get better judgement (or at least you should, LOL), but I really don't think it's age as much as just plain ole experience.

I think the time between learners permit and actual license should be lengthen greatly....at least they have more time behind the wheel with a more experienced driver guiding them.


CW

 

[Georgesalmon]

Re: Is getting a drivers license to easy in the US?

Re: Is getting a drivers license to easy in the US?

When I took my son for his drivers lic they asked him if he wanted it "orally, or in writing". That's bad. I think if you can't read you shouldn't be able to drive. Just saying that because if you don't have enough attention span to learn to read, can you concentrate on drivin? Not talking reading English here, just read in general. Won't mention the state by name but the initials were NC. I know that the stats are correct I guess. Just wish they would outlaw any use of cell phones when behind the wheel. Was hit by a cell user (T-boned) a couple of years ago and almost got it again just yesterday. Phone user wandered into my lane, wife saw a phone in front of him. Young person, could have been a teenager.

 

[rbh]

Re: Is getting a drivers license to easy in the US?

Re: Is getting a drivers license to easy in the US?

This is what we have inplace now, thank god!!


http://www.icbc.com/driver-licensing/getting-licensed/graduated-licensing

 

[ajgraz]

Re: Is getting a drivers license to easy in the US?

Re: Is getting a drivers license to easy in the US?

I think the minimum age for a driver's license should be 18. Maybe start the training at 16, but NO driving without adult supervision until an adult.

But then, I also think that there should be taxpayer-funded driver's education and school buses (beyond elementary school), and affordable and utilitarian public transportation--none of which exists in San Diego, because everyone here thinks taxes are the devil and the common good is for suckers.

 

[Georgesalmon]

Re: Is getting a drivers license to easy in the US?

Re: Is getting a drivers license to easy in the US?

Gonna move to B.C. I LIKE it!

 

[JB]

Re: Is getting a drivers license to easy in the US?

Re: Is getting a drivers license to easy in the US?

I like that, rbh.

In Germany and other European countries the license is a lot harder to get (cost a couple hundred bux, too) and you can lose it in a nanosecond.

I think that age is not the issue. I think experience and judgement are the issue. They can be obtained by a dedicated 14 year old with correct training and supervision. Hundreds of licensed teen and preteen pilots can testify to that.

If we simply made driving licenses as hard to get as a flying license, and made it just as tough to keep we might do even better than the Europeans.

Agreed: License to drive is not a right, it is a privilege that can be easily revoked.

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Is getting a drivers license to easy in the US?

Re: Is getting a drivers license to easy in the US?

Here in the 'Commonwealth' getting a driver's license is fairly straight forward. . . No harder than in past years.

Keeping the driver's license . . . That is a different story. We have what is called a Junior Operater's License if you are under 18 years old. Any moving violations and the license is revoked until you are 18 years old and you have to repeat all the drivers Ed and then some.

You cannot have minors ( I.e. you buddies) in the car with you, only family members may be with you, and you cannot drive between 12:30 am and 6:00 am. There may be a few other restrictions that I can not recall.

I think that it is all good stuff as it is designed (hopefully) to address the issues that lead to the teen statistics. I'm not sure of the results, it has been going for maybe the last 7-8 years or so.

 

[woodsyfeller]

Re: Is getting a drivers license to easy in the US?

Re: Is getting a drivers license to easy in the US?

Well I think the stats are skewed a little the original poster is saying driving is the number 1 death for TEENS, not that teens cause more deaths then anyone else, but I magine they are a bit higher due to lack or experience.So of course driving is the biggest killer of teens how many teenagers do you see dropping dead from strokes and heart disease.

Thats similar to a stat that says 75% of accidents happen within 2 miles of your home ,well thats because thats where 75% of your driving time tends to be.

Im not a big fan of stats because they can be made to give a false facts to support any statement if worded properly.

I personally think that teenagers will have a higher chance of collisions but I would imagine its probally comparable with any adult that has same amount of driving time logged

 

[Woodnaut]

Re: Is getting a drivers license to easy in the US?

Re: Is getting a drivers license to easy in the US?

...I think everyone should be road tested every 2 years, to prove they can still control a vehicle.

Wow, totally agree Roscoe, I've been saying this for years. The only downside would be the horrific wait at the DMV because of the crowd.

 

[R Socey]

Re: Is getting a drivers license to easy in the US?

Re: Is getting a drivers license to easy in the US?

I am amazed at the people driving fast, heavy vehicles who shouldn't be. Teens our dangerous because of lack of experience, and the feeling of being indestructable, and they are easily destracted. If I were teaching someone to drive I would instruct them:
(1) Green means procede with awareness - make sure no one is about to run a light etc. and ram you!
(2) Look way up ahead, and try to anticipate the pattern!
(3) Be aware of who's around you, and what!
(4) Get up to speed on the ramp when you are going to merge!
(5) When the vehicle in front of you has started to accelerate that don't mean their not going to stop again immediately for no apparant reason. ( I learned that the hard way )
(6) If you aint breaking the speed limit you don't belong in the fast lane!
(7) Definately whare your seat belts!
(8) Stay out of the pack!
(9) Don't follow too close especially behind a performance vehical that can stop alot faster than you! ( I learned that the hard way too! )
(10) I would definately show them pics of traffic fatalities - lots!
I know a drivers license is too easy to get - just look at all those fools that try and wreck you on a daily basis!
Oh yea (11) For Gods sake don't try, and text, and drive - use common since!
( 11) Don't play the music so loud that you can't even hear the fire truck thats right behind you! ( been there, done that)

 

[dingbat]

Re: Is getting a drivers license too easy in the US?

Looking at the stats. car accidents are the number one killer of teens in the US and I am wondering if instead of restrictions should getting a drivers license be a lot tougher as it is in many European Countries that have a death per 100,000 that is less than a third of what it is in the US?

Why do you think getting a license in Germany is any harder than getting a license in Maryland?

The figures regularly quoted uses accident deaths per 1,000 people. If you where to read the fine print at the bottom of the page you?d find that all they do is divide the number of deaths by the population which is misleading. A county with a smaller percentage of drivers like Upper Mongolia or Botswana would have the safest drivers on earth.

In most European countries automobiles are a very expensive necessity. Fuel is very expensive and older cars are regulated off the roads so buying junior a new car and sending him on his way doesn?t happen which gives Europe a much smaller percentage of teenage drivers compared to the US. To make a real comparison you would have to compare miles driven per accident death.

Here is some interesting information on the interpretation of crash data. http://www.motorists.org/other/crash-data

 

[roscoe]

Re: Is getting a drivers license to easy in the US?

Re: Is getting a drivers license to easy in the US?

I am amazed at the people driving fast, heavy vehicles who shouldn't be. Teens our dangerous because of lack of experience, and the feeling of being indestructable, and they are easily destracted. If I were teaching someone to drive I would instruct them:
(1) Green means procede with awareness - make sure no one is about to run a light etc. and ram you!
(2) Look way up ahead, and try to anticipate the pattern!
(3) Be aware of who's around you, and what!
(4) Get up to speed on the ramp when you are going to merge!
(5) When the vehicle in front of you has started to accelerate that don't mean their not going to stop again immediately for no apparant reason. ( I learned that the hard way )
(6) If you aint breaking the speed limit you don't belong in the fast lane!
(7) Definately whare your seat belts!
(8) Stay out of the pack!
(9) Don't follow too close especially behind a performance vehical that can stop alot faster than you! ( I learned that the hard way too! )
(10) I would definately show them pics of traffic fatalities - lots!
I know a drivers license is too easy to get - just look at all those fools that try and wreck you on a daily basis!
Oh yea (11) For Gods sake don't try, and text, and drive - use common since!
( 11) Don't play the music so loud that you can't even hear the fire truck thats right behind you! ( been there, done that)

Hey hey hey,we'll have non of that nonsense and common sense around here.
Take all that thinking and practicality somewhere else.


But,none of this matters if you are taking the driving test in an empty parking lot.

 

[rivermouse]

Re: Is getting a drivers license to easy in the US?

Re: Is getting a drivers license to easy in the US?

My many years of experience with the state DOT etc qualifies my opinion on this. We need many more restrictions on who drives and who does not. Parents should not determine when a kid gets a car and drives but the DOT....We need enforsed laws and cell phone use should be regulated.We determine a person should not drive after he proves it by killing someone.. This approach is wrong.

 

[Fishing Dude too]

Re: Is getting a drivers license to easy in the US?

Re: Is getting a drivers license to easy in the US?

I think 2 DUI's and you loose your driving privlage for life, the end. It should be treated as attempted murder, because you are more likely to kill someone else than yourself.

 

[mscher]

Re: Is getting a drivers license too easy in the US?

My state (MO) is again talking about more restrictions for teen drivers. (Limited night time, max of two passengers, etc.) Looking at the stats. car accidents are the number one killer of teens in the US and I am wondering if instead of restrictions should getting a drivers license be a lot tougher as it is in many European Countries that have a death per 100,000 that is less than a third of what it is in the US?

Americans drive an average of about 3 times as many miles, per year, as Europeans. The U.S. death rate will be up because of that.