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Fewer and Fewer Teens Electing To Drive At Age 16
For generations, driver’s licenses have been tickets to freedom for America’s 16-year-olds, prompting many to line up at motor vehicle offices the day they were eligible to apply.

No longer. In the last decade, the proportion of 16-year-olds nationwide who hold driver’s licenses has dropped from nearly half to less than one-third, according to statistics from the Federal Highway Administration.

Reasons vary, including tighter state laws governing when teenagers can drive, higher insurance costs and a shift from school-run driver education to expensive private driving academies.

To that mix, experts also add parents who are willing to chauffeur their children to activities, and pastimes like surfing the Web that keep them indoors and glued to computers.


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Fewer and Fewer Teens Electing To Drive At Age 16



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TheSailorTheSailor - 2/26/2008 4:14:56 PMView My AgentSpace
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I find it completely ridiculous that you can't buy a beer in the US until you are 21, however, once you turn 16, you are allowed to drive a 4000+ lbs behemoth?!?

And it isn't the buy a beer until you are 21 part that I find ridiculous in case anybody is wondering!

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RupertRupert - 2/26/2008 5:41:25 PMView My AgentSpace
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I find it so funny too - In Britain I can drink from 16 in restaurants, with a meal, I can drink at home as much as I like from whenever, and I can buy alcohol from 18 - I turn 18 in 2 weeks, but my age hasn't stopped me before.


TheSailorTheSailor - 2/26/2008 5:46:49 PMView My AgentSpace
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LOL... In Denmark the rules were changed like five years ago... Now you have to be 18 (same as driving). Before then (it changed right around the time I turned 18 actually), you just had to be old enough to lift the beer bottle up to your mouth yourself if you wanted to drink... And people always told me I was ahead of my age... Hmm... It's all starting to make sence now! :D


Threepoint1415926Threepoint1415926 - 2/26/2008 5:48:31 PM
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I was about to say the same. +1


EnnNorakEnnNorak - 2/26/2008 6:44:20 PM
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TheSailor, I find it completely ridiculous that people of all ages drink as much beer as they do. I made sure that both my daughters were licensed to drive as soon as they turned 16 -- finally the freedom of not having to drive them around any more. It's not rocket science to drive a car, 4000 lb behemoth or not.

BTW, young people's reflexes are faster than those of us older folk so the insurance companies are wrong to penalize younger drivers.


TheSailorTheSailor - 2/27/2008 2:27:08 AMView My AgentSpace
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While that might very well be so, it is also a fact that young people have a gruesome first place in every statistic around the world - that is most vehicular deaths pr driver! Young people are way more likely to have an accident because they have a higher stress tolerance which means that they take more risks! This number steadily decreases year pr year as drivers grow older! So not only is it ridiculous to let 16-year olds drive, it is irresponsible as well! There is a reason while america has twice the number of fatal car accidents per car on the road than in western europe!


pushrod27pushrod27 - 2/26/2008 5:39:55 PM
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That's sad. What's wrong with the kids today? I've been driving since i was 12! My cousin would let me drive home from school, and i would steal my mom's car when she went to sleep at night. I was already a great driver by the time i turned 16, and i didn't waste a single precious second getting my learner's permit and driver's license. I was the first kid in my clique to drive. It was a great time.

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TheSailorTheSailor - 2/26/2008 6:04:36 PMView My AgentSpace
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WOW... That is really cool! Nothing better than 12-year olds to make our roads safer! Tough guy, huh?


RupertRupert - 2/26/2008 6:18:18 PMView My AgentSpace
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Stealing your mom's car - what a cool guy you are. I bet she just loved you...


EnnNorakEnnNorak - 2/26/2008 6:49:04 PM
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I'm with you pushrod27 -- when my kids were between the ages of 5 and 10, I used to delight them by letting them steer the car around empty shopping center parking lots on Sunday while sitting on my knees and while I operated the gas and brake pedals. I don't know if that is still the case but I believe that people as young as age 14 were permitted to drive in some states.


pushrod27pushrod27 - 2/26/2008 7:10:18 PM
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What's the big deal? i didn't literally steal it. I borrowed it and brought it back before she woke up. Lots of kids do it. it's no different than throwing a party at home when the parents leave town. (did that too!)

And yes, my mom loved me very much, she still does. I wasn't that bad of a kid, just the basic teen mischeif. (borrowing the car, throwing parties in the house, smoking, drinking, sneaking into nightclubs, that kind of stuff.)

What can i say? I've loved cars and driving since a very young age. I couldn't wait to get my license. It probably wasn't safe for a 12 year old to be on the road, bu my early start on the road is what makes me a great driver today.


ShredmoShredmo - 2/26/2008 8:58:38 PM
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Personally, I think the first year or two behind the wheel are the most dangerous times, regardless of your age.



Htay7500Htay7500 - 2/26/2008 6:22:41 PM
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here in MD, a curfew might be issued to us teens that we'll not be able to drive after 10pm for those 16+ (w/ some exceptions). this is after more than a dozen high schoolers were killed last fall in a period of one month. if this is passed, it'll be one of the most toughest laws for teen driving.

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EnnNorakEnnNorak - 2/26/2008 6:51:22 PM
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Politicians always want to be seen to be doing something. So now MD thinks that teens have worse eyesight than some 80-year-old with cataracts.


Htay7500Htay7500 - 2/26/2008 7:07:57 PM
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well, there was a study or survey w/e that we tend to be more dangerous drivers than senior adults (I presume you're one enn?) because they (seniors) only drive whnever the time or conditions is right. we tend to be a bit immature (I don't remember much)and we don't pay attention as much.


pushrod27pushrod27 - 2/26/2008 7:19:35 PM
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Enn, I'll have to disagree with you. Teen drivers are very unsafe, it has nothing to do with physical abilities like eye sight and reflexes. Of course teens are in better physical condition, but they lack good decision-making and experience. That is why they have so many accidents. They are simply willing to engage in stupid behavior because they just don't know any better.

I've been driving for over 15 years. i can see accidents about to develop by watching other drivers. i check my blind spot constantly. i don't speed around blind corners. These are some things that only experience can teach you.

I may have been younger and quicker 15 years ago, but i was too stupid to use it effectively. That's what being a teen is all about: trying to develop your mind to a point where you can take proper advantage of your new (adult) physical abilities.

There's an old saying (i don't know who said it): 'Youth is wasted on the young.' it's so true. now that i'm old and headed over the hill, i find myself wishing to be able to combine the wisdom and experience i have today with the vitality, energy, and potential that i had at 17.


MunichRobMunichRob - 2/26/2008 7:42:17 PMView My AgentSpace
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That picture above is a scary sight.

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pushrod27pushrod27 - 2/26/2008 7:59:28 PM
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I agree. They should come up with a different driving test and make it more difficult for women to get driver's licenses. With a few exceptions (i know 2 good female drivers) women are terrible drivers. They suffer from lack of skill, poor decision-making, not enough confidence (my mom is scared to drive on the highway in the rain! she thinks it's dangerous and gets so nervous over the idea that it really is dangerous FOR HER to do it.), and they are easily distracted.

I don't want to be politically incorrect, but i must speak on Asian drivers. They are terrible! Men, women, young, and old, i have never seen an Asian motorist who wasn't driving entirely too slow.

That's why hardcore American and/or European car fans don't respect Japanese cars. It is because i know that their hallowed refinement isn't based on some innate superior engineering & building ability, but rather the basic needs of their poorly skilled drivers.

German cars are sophisticated tools for the highly skilled and discerning driver. American cars are designed around utility and economy, and they require a skilled driver/owner to get the best out of them.

Japanese cars are idiot-proofed so that even the worst drivers and most neglectful owners can use them.


Htay7500Htay7500 - 2/26/2008 8:50:29 PM
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pushrod: some of us Asians are enthusiastic about cars as any American or European is but I wouldn't judge it on race alone, though I do agree w/ some of your statements. I find the most active and respectful drivers from those who drive a stick because they have total control of the car, in which they need to pay a lot of attention. Sadly though, barely anyone drives one and the demand for it decreases here in the US. I learned to drive one while visiting relatives in Burma, in an old toyota corona. From that point on, I didnt want to own a car w/o one.


WhelanWhelan - 2/26/2008 9:18:13 PM
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House rule for my family was that we were not allowed to get our license until we were 17.

I know in some countries like Germany you can't get your license till your 18, you can drink at that age I think too. And I believe it costs the equivalent of $1,200 US dollars or something ludicrous like that. But to drive a car is truly a priveledge and not a right.

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TheSailorTheSailor - 2/27/2008 2:33:27 AMView My AgentSpace
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Here in Denmark you have to be 18 and it costs the equivalent of $2,000 US. You have to take 14 hours of theory, then 2 hours on a closed track where you learn to drive and then an additional 12 hours on open roads with a licensed driving teacher in a specially modified car (with two sets of pedals). Then you have to take a one hour driving test and a theory test. And after that, your license is on probation for the first three years!


ShredmoShredmo - 2/27/2008 11:47:13 AM
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Prior to my driving school experience in the US at age 15.5 years:
At age 14, I had a permit to drive with a licensed driver over 18.
Driving school:
Cost $235 + the cost of the license (in 1991). I had 16 hours of "theory", 4 hours of closed course driving time and another 8 hours of instructor accompanied road time with a "specially modified car". By the time I was 16 and fully licensed, I had roughly 6,000 miles under my belt before driving the first mile by myself.

The Sailor, you are welcome to be all smug about growing up and learning to drive in Europe, but your argument is flawed. Also, if fatalities are truely 200% in the US compared to W. Europe per vehicle on the road, there are probably other factors than age that contribute to this.



Threepoint1415926Threepoint1415926 - 2/27/2008 1:42:18 PM
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Shredmo, Sailor has a bit of a point. Whereas you took an optional class to learn how to drive, Sailor's education was mandatory (im guessing). My driving education consisted of a test at the DMV with 20 "multiple guess" questions where I could get up to 5 wrong! Then I was off with a drivers permit the same day to drive around with my parents. A few hours of logged driving time later and I went back to get my license where I had another test with 20 or so questions and a schmoe from the DMV watched me drive around for 10 min. I was then a licensed driver!!!! This is how MOST people in the US obtain their licenses. It's completely ridiculous, the lack of drivers education here in the states. It shows every time you drive down the freeway.


ShredmoShredmo - 2/27/2008 3:47:32 PM
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Threepoint,
This must vary by state. In the state in which I received my original license, an 18 year old can walk in, take a test, then go for a check-out drive to obtain a license, whereas a 16 year old is required to take a true driver's ed course similar to the one I took.


M35MTM35MT - 2/27/2008 8:03:53 AMView My AgentSpace
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If my kids want to drive at 16 then they'll have to pay for the license course, their car payments and insurance just like I had to.

Turning 16 was more of a big deal than 21 for me, because I couldnt wait to drive.

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Htay7500Htay7500 - 2/27/2008 1:36:01 PM
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same with my parents including drivers ed.


EnnNorakEnnNorak - 2/28/2008 7:19:15 PM
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HA HA HA, I'm still subsidizing my adult kids even though they have good jobs. Kids today are victims of high taxes and a high cost of living because past political leaders borrowed and spent and then borrowed some more.


WhelanWhelan - 2/27/2008 8:09:16 AM
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Sounds like me M35. Both my brother and myself had to pay for the insurance, license. But the car was kinda a freebie. My brother had my Dad's old hand me down Volvo 240DL, but I got a 1984 Ford Escort L, rustoleum faded gray, burgundy red interior, automatic. That's all. Cost was $250, lol. That little thing was in the shop every week. But hey, it was 4 wheels and a motor. Nothing a set of Kmart hubcaps couldn't spice up!


And TheSailor, we have the two pedal system in our cars too. I always see the driving schools around here with small Corolla's and Civic's. When I took my lessons, it was in a big Ford Taurus. And my test was in a 97 Cherokee Classic, loved that thing. I think when I got my license it was less than $100 US for the whole thing. Driving lessons were free offered throught he high school, had to maintain a B+ average to get in.

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MattBMattB - 2/27/2008 3:40:08 PM
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Shut up. Just shut up.

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EnnNorakEnnNorak - 2/28/2008 7:23:29 PM
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Letting females drive is a wise decision because they will nag you about your navigation if you insist on driving yourself. I always insist that my wife drive when we go out together and I just sit back and relax while my free chauffeur takes on "systems responsibility" for driving and navigating -- it's a lot more peaceful that way.

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MattBMattB - 2/27/2008 3:46:27 PM
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The thing that scares me about young drivers is the utter lack of quality of driving instruction in this country. When I did driver's ed a few years ago it was a was of my time. I had to sit in a classroom with other bored teenagers for 30 hours over a few weeks while a disgruntled incompetent instructor rambled about nothing of any value. Then there was the "behind the wheel time", which consisted of said disgruntled incompetent instructor yelling at me and asking me if I had a death wish while I tried to drive the car. Totally useless.

I'm a good driver because my parents are good drivers and I took the time to learn how to drive properly. Driver's ed didn't do anything useful for me.

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cdokecdoke - 2/27/2008 4:33:11 PMView My AgentSpace
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My 15-year-old sister is currently undergoing the rigmarole to obtain her license. Driver’s education was mandatory and she had to complete 62 hours of driving in multiple conditions. You read that right- 62 hours. The threshold for passing the written exam is an 80%. The whole convoluted mess thoroughly pissed off my mother.

If the way in which people drive is any indication, then these rules are ineffective in their entirety.

My sister had wanted a Porsche Boxter for her first car, although my parents would never have bought her a convertible. However, after showing her a film with the exhaust note, she now wants an XKR. I’m sure my parents think I am a bad influence. There usually are rules- i.e. you buy your first car after which there are no rules. I am not so sure that my beloved sister will have that applied to her.

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Htay7500Htay7500 - 2/27/2008 4:50:48 PM
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now that we shared about the process of how getting getting a drivers license works in the US, how about Europe, including Germany?

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RupertRupert - 2/28/2008 4:47:56 PMView My AgentSpace
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In Britain you take a theory test (50 multiple choice questions, 85% minimum to pass) plus a haard perception test (too difficult to explain, involvs videos and finding hazards) plus a practical driving test of about 40 minutes to an hour, which assesses your ability on a wide range of roads (not motorways though) and includes at least 2 set maneuvers, from either: reverse around a corner, parallel parking, turn in the road (3 point turn), emergency stop, reverse parking into a bay and something else I can't remember. In addition, there is a "show me, tell me" section, in which you have to show the examiner a certain procedure of car maintenance, and tell them how to do another one.

There is no mandatory tuition or education, and once the license is obtained, one can drive any car anywhere (although one would never get insurance for a powerful car, or even something like a 3 series). Before your test, you have a provisional license, which means you can drive but only with someone over 21 who has had their license for 3 years at least.


rdce34rdce34 - 2/27/2008 10:33:18 PM
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As a parent, I had all three of my children take driver's training. My boys (twins) had to share a car and behaved reasonably well The daughter was the problem child behind the wheel.
They all have different driving attitudes even with the same household and similar driving education. I agree that the first two years of driving are the most dangerous. Graduated and restictive licenses seem to work better for younger drivers.

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