Do you agree with the driver's license law?

A simple check of accident driver statistics should show that new drivers have more accidents... less experienced.

I am the father of a 15 year old. I'm completely in favor of license restrictions.

I'm with Seal.

I personally don't think people should be allowed to drive until they are 25. Teenagers don't believe it is possible for them to die, and they don't know how to weigh risks.

Having a teenager of my own now just reinforces this.

Geesh, now you made me feel old...

I'm also with ebrown. 25 is a good age ;-)

My son is 16, has his permit and is getting his license this summer

Exactly WHICH law are you talking about, Kerrysgirl? North Carolina's? I am not familiar with that. Please explain.

In Oklahoma, we can get a permit at 15-1/2 if we have drivers ed, then a license at 16. No restrictions once we get a license. Except, of course, that our community has a curfew for those under 18.

I was not a very good driver at 16. As badly as I wanted that license, I have to admit it was definitely too much freedom for me to handle well.

umm well, I first got my license at age 15 1/2 (the legal age at the time) i tend to think that experience is more important than age so defering to an older age does not provide more driving experience but it does make the elderly "think" they are more secure on the streets, I however think experience/age is over-valued (constantly dodging blue-hairs in the grocery market parking lot) at least the 16 year olds and see and hear!!!!

18 is the magic number. Kids in high school are too prone (not that others aren't) to try to show off and drive recklessly. I think a high scholl diploma should be a requirement for a drivers license.

Many places in Canada have or will soon adopt these laws. If you you have driven less than two years you must;
- display a rear window tag
- consume no alcohol
and under 18 must follow the above and you are not allowed;
- more than one passenger
- to drive after certain hours

I've noticed young kids that crash their vehicles, especially accidents where kids have died tend to have 4-5 kids in the car - a major distraction to any driver, it's normally somewhere close to midnight and alcohol usually plays a factor. Statistics may prove me a liar but, it's just an observation from around here.


Dys, I agree. It would be political suicide for any politician to promote the idea of taking licences away from the elderly. Yearly medicals should be mandatory. Driving is not a right, it's a privilege.

I was actually kidding when I said 25 was a good age and I agree completely with Dyslexia that it's the experience that counts. One thing that bugs me is when a kid goes through driving school they get their license early and get out of there with very little driving experience. My son has had his permit since Aug and I decided not to put him through driving school because he wouldn't have had enough experience before he got his license, so I have been teaching him and I am giving him as much road experience as possible. This way when Aug rolls around again, he'll have atleast one year of driving under his belt before he gets his license. My cousins son, who is a few months younger than my son already has his license since he went through driving school and the kid can't drive for beans, which makes him a danger on the road. When my son does get his license I have made it clear to him that for the first year he has his license, he is only allowed to drive with one passenger in the car unless it's me and his grandmother.

As far as the elderly go, I agree with Ceili as far as a yearly medical and if they are on certain medications, they should not be allowed to drive. I also think they should go through a driving test every few years. There is a huge amount of elderly people here who are on strong medication and shouldn't be behind the wheel.

Not to side step the subject but there should also be limits on elderly drivers. And no more free license in the mail without having to take a competency and skills test after a certain age.

My dad has never been in an accident in his life but now that he's getting past his 60's he's starting to have trouble with his vision and he will tend to dart out in front of cars without noticing, or drive through red lights.

I agree rover.

I suggested a yearly medical for the elderly and that also includes eye exams.

It's not like it's being disrespectful to the elderly. It would be for their own safety and the safety of others. Some elderly can be pretty stubborn. They believe that they've been driving so many years that they know everything there is to know about driving. unfortunately just as getting around on foot becomes impaired so does driving a car.

fortunately my grandmother had the smarts to stop driving when she reached her early 70's. She knew her driving was getting bad.

Absolutely. It's not out of disrespect at all.

I think after a certain age (in Alberta) you do have to have a medical in order to drive. I don't know how frequently these are done though. (Oh and I agree about your stance on driving.

I agree! 25 for a driver's licence! And before that, you can drive but need a licenced, insured driver to accompany you.

Realisitically, I think 18 would be a better age. When my niece was 16, she got her licence right away and driving with her at the age of 17 was a tongue-biting experience. I wanted to say "don't do that!", but I remembered what my own learning experiences were like when I was younger so I gave her "advice" rather than demands.