Teens waiting later to drive.

cmitchell

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As part of my job I work at our local high school two days each week. There are only a handful of students who drive to school ... my daughter is one who does. Some days the parking lot is so empty you would think it was an elementary school rather than a high school. A lot of this is due to the fact that many teenagers can't afford a vehicle ... and the insurance. Plus there are very few students who pass the test to get a learner's permit on the first try. Many kids are taking the test over and over again and still not passing. Traditional study skills are a thing of the past. No one wants to actually put out any effort to get something these days ... Bummer.
 
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sgoldste01

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This explains why auto brands are pushing to add infotainment systems like the MyFord Touch into their cars, in spite of the distracted driver hazards these systems introduce.
 

sgoldste01

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...Plus there are very few students who pass the test to get a learner's permit on the first try. Many kids are taking the test over and over again and still net passing...
This is interesting. I've not known any kids to fail the written learner's permit test. I have, on the other hand, known many kids who fail the road test on at least the first try. But that's a good thing. If the kid isn't skilled enough to pass the road test, then s/he shouldn't be driving alone. What makes me nervous is the kid with shaky driving skills who passes the road test because he had a good day and got lucky. :eek:
 

Powder Hound

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This is interesting. I've not known any kids to fail the written learner's permit test...
My experience also. What are those kids doing that can't pass the test after multiple tries? Are they just brain dead, or are they finding out the hard way why that stuff is called dope? (See my sig.) Then again, if the problem is due to chemicals, they probably have already lost the ability to reason such things...
 
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mlemorie

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My sister is this way. She didnt care, and would have been fine with not getting her license. My parents forced her to get her license lol. Me on the other hand, I turned 16 on a saturday, and I was pissed that I had to wait until monday to get mine :D
 

Bob_Fout

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I didn't get my license until I was 18 or 19, when I could pay for my own insurance, my own vehicle, and care and feeding (fuel and maint).
 

MrMopar

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The evidence thus far is showing that the graduated license programs put in place by most states is simply pushing the age of first licensing back a couple years, and also pushing back the big bulge of teen driving accidents a few years.

When I was first licensed in Illinois back in 1996 you could take driver's education at high school, do 6 hours behind the wheel with the school instructor (my instructor gave me 1 hour 45 minutes and fudged the paperwork), 10 hours with my parents (I don't think they did it and there was no log book required) and then get a license at age 16. If you didn't do the driver's education, you simply waited until age 18 and there was no instruction requirements or paper test requirements. After I was licensed there were some changes made: most prominent that affected me was the law regarding moving violations. Used to be that anyone in Illinois that got 3 moving violations within a year span got a 3 month suspension of their driver license. The first graduated license law moved that goal post to 2 moving violations within 24 months if you were under age 21, and I retroactively got slammed with a 3 month suspension in 2000. Further laws moved the training required to 25 hours behind the wheel with parents, with some part of that having to include night driving, and it had to be logged. Then it got moved to 50 hours. Also included there is some restrictions about nighttime driving, and only having so many friends in the car, and maybe some other stuff. I'm so far out of the game now that I simply don't care.

So it used to be the biggest lump of accidents was kids aged 16-18, basically wrecking cars when they were immature and inexperienced drivers. Now these graduated license restrictions put such a hassle on parents and kids that a lot of them simply aren't doing it. With families often having both parents working, who has time to spend 50 hours (longer than a standard work week) behind the wheel with their kids? Including something like 20 hours of night driving? Not a lot. So the result is now that kids simply wait to turn 18 where the just walk in and get a license without all the hassle of instruction required. And the result from that is now we've pushed the bunch with the most accidents up to the 18-20 age bracket because we're just delaying the inevitable.
 

aja8888

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There's about 1/2 million people here in Houston that have driver's licenses and can't read or write English and love their beer/booze. You think I'm worried about teenagers?
 

40X40

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About 2500 hours behind the wheel before I was eligible for a license. (accumulated while 13,14 and 15 years old)

104 days a year, 8 hours a day for 3 years. 6.5 days at 8 hours a day for 4 months (each summer) We got rained out once in a while, so I didn't count the winter work, nor the month of work in the early summer of the year I turned 16.

I was so tired of driving back and forth in field after field that I couldn't wait to get a license for the open road!!

I aced the written and took the driving test in a retired MO Highway Patrol Interceptor with less than 30,000 miles on it (428 Ford Galaxie 500).

Bill
 

aja8888

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Believe it or not: I took my road test for my license in a 1954 Hudson Hornet (three on the tree) on a snowy day in Connecticut. I don't remember the written test (if there was one back then).
 

leicaman

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Gosh I remember taking my driving test in a 1969 Buick Skylark 2 door hardtop way back in 1976. Remember those separate shoulder and lap belts on the cars in that era?
 

lovemybug

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Gosh I remember taking my driving test in a 1969 Buick Skylark 2 door hardtop way back in 1976. Remember those separate shoulder and lap belts on the cars in that era?
My parents' 1972 Mercury Monterey station wagon had seatbelts like that. I drove that old rustbucket almost until the wheels fell off. Literally.
 

cmitchell

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This is interesting. I've not known any kids to fail the written learner's permit test. I have, on the other hand, known many kids who fail the road test on at least the first try. But that's a good thing. If the kid isn't skilled enough to pass the road test, then s/he shouldn't be driving alone. What makes me nervous is the kid with shaky driving skills who passes the road test because he had a good day and got lucky. :eek:
Well, I'm a special education teacher ... so maybe it's just the kids on my caseload who are failing the first time! However, there are always teenagers in my house so I don't think that's the case. I always hear about who's taken the test & how many times they've taken it. Most try to take the test, at least the first time, WITHOUT studying the manual...
 

sgoldste01

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Even before I was old enough to get my learner's permit, I was passionate about cars and driving. I watched my parents drive like a hawk, and asked questions (about the car, about the rules of the road, etc.). When it was close to my 16th birthday, I grabbed and studied the guide, but I already knew everything with the exception of things like DWI blood alcohol percentages, points against your license for infractions, etc. Passed my learner's permit test first time. Then took my road test in my Dad's 1976 VW Rabbit with a 4-speed stick. People thought I was crazy taking my road test in a manual tranny car (you had to use hand signals during the road test back then), but I did it smoothly, and passed my road test on the first try too.

My son turned 16 just a couple of weeks ago, on 3/24. His birthday was on a Saturday, which would have killed me when I was 16 (I made my Mom bring me to the DMV on my 16th birthday). But my son didn't have the burning desire to start driving ASAP like I did when I was his age. I finally got him to take his learner's permit test this past Monday, and that was only because he's on spring break, and I had Monday off as a floating holiday from my employer. So it was convenient for both of us. Even so, I had to urge him repeatedly to study and make sure that he was ready, or he wouldn't have taken the test on Monday either. He passed the test with a 90%. I'm teaching him to drive a stick now, using my old 1999 Honda Civic that I kept as a "kids' car" after buying the 2010 Golf. My 18-year-old daughter learned to drive on the Civic, and now it's my son's turn.

But neither of my kids had the burning desire to drive like I had when I was 16. For me, driving was priority #1. My kids' indifference was overwhelming.

I just don't get it. :eek:
 
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aja8888

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Even before I was old enough to get my learner's permit, I was passionate about cars and driving. I watched my parents drive like a hawk, and asked questions (about the car, about the rules of the road, etc.). When it was close to my 16th birthday, I grabbed and studied the guide, but I already knew everything with the exception of things like DWI blood alcohol percentages, points against your license for infractions, etc. Passed my learner's permit test first time. Then took my road test in my Dad's 1976 VW Rabbit with a 4-speed stick. People thought I was crazy taking my road test in a manual tranny car (you had to use hand signals during the road test back then), but I did it smoothly, and passed my road test on the first try too.

My son turned 16 just a couple of weeks ago, on 3/24. His birthday was on a Saturday, which would have killed me when I was 16. But my son didn't have the burning desire to start driving ASAP like I did when I was his age. I finally got him to take his learner's permit test this past Monday, and that was only because he's on spring break, and I had Monday off as a floating holiday from my employer. So it was convenient for both of us. Even so, I had to urge him repeatedly to study and make sure that he was ready, or he wouldn't have taken the test on Monday either. He passed the test with a 90%. I'm teaching him to drive a stick now, using my old 1999 Honda Civic that I kept as a "kids' car" after buying the 2010 Golf. My 18-year-old daughter learned to drive on the Civic, and now it's my son's turn.

But neither of my kids had the burning desire to drive like I had when I was 16. For me, driving was priority #1. My kids' indifference was overwhelming.

I just don't get it. :eek:
Interesting take on the kids not having the desire to drive at an early age. Maybe it has something to do with the ability to connect with their friends via social networking and cell phones, both of which we didn't have way back when. My quest to drive in 1961 was freedom from the boring house and the ability to go places and see friends.

Today, my granddaughter (17 years old) drives to school (she has to based on the situation) but is constantly "connected" via the iPhone and computer.
 

MrMopar

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Interesting take on the kids not having the desire to drive at an early age. Maybe it has something to do with the ability to connect with their friends via social networking and cell phones, both of which we didn't have way back when. My quest to drive in 1961 was freedom from the boring house and the ability to go places and see friends.
Today, my granddaughter (17 years old) drives to school (she has to based on the situation) but is constantly "connected" via the iPhone and computer.
This is likely to be a large part of the reason why.

That, and there are also a lot of kids with parents that probably aren't encouraging them to start driving. I am not a pro on insurance regulations but most companies ask for ALL the drivers in a household and price the policy appropriately. I can remember having "poor" friends with parents who simply wouldn't let their kids get a license simply because, even if they wouldn't be driving the cars, their insurance rates would still shoot through the roof.
 

LiLredTDI

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Funny dialogue in this thread.

My daughter failed the written exam before she took it...........LoL

Let me explain, Miss PITA, know-it-all INSISTED she did not need her birth certificate as part of the paperwork to take the test. I tried to be a patient, understanding Dad and explain/reason with her that this was not the case and you need the birth certificate.

After her continued protests that she did NOT need the certificate I angrily drove her to the DMV any way to prove a point.

After standing in line and about 20 seconds after her telling the clerk hello, she was asked for her birth certificate : )

It was a quiet ride home.........LoL
 

supton

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lol... I could see myself doing that. Actually, I *do* do that already. But my kids are much much younger.
 

sgoldste01

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The NYS DMV web site provides a look-up table (PDF file, I believe) that spells out what date of birth and citizenship documents you must provide to get a learner's permit, driver's license, etc. In addition to you telling your daughter that a birth certificate (with a raised seal! no photocopies allowed) is required, doesn't MD's DMV web site provide this kind of documentation? If so, did you show it to your daughter? If so, then she really is astoundingly stubborn.
 

IndigoBlueWagon

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My licensing experience is too old to be relevant, but I would say my kids were moderately eager to get their licenses. We live in a suburban town with no public transportation, so the desire to be able to get out of the house was strong. They all drove themselves to school at one point or another, and student parking spaces at our high school are hard to come by, so many kids drive themselves. The school bus has a tremendous negative stigma for high school kids. Besides, like many towns, ours charges for the bus, so avoiding that cost helps defray some of the car expenses. Of course they charge for a parking permit, too.

All my kids passed the lerners' permit test the first try, and only one failed the driving test because he made a u-turn where the state cop asked for a 3-point turn. The road was wide enough for a u-turn so that's what my son did. He was very angry at me when he failed, in part blaming me for making him take the test in a car with a manual transmission. I said that if he couldn't pass the test in that car (his) then he shouldn't be driving it. Ironically, he's had the best driving record of the three.
 

TomJD

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I got my permit a month after I turned 15. I got it on my first try. I got my license about 4 months after my 16 birthday, again first try. I own my own car, and pay for my own insurance. I don't text because my car is more valuable than any text message in the world.

That said, I think there is some truth to this article. I am in college now and know of a bunch of people who don't even have licenses. I have relatives who waited until they are older to get their licenses and they all turned out to be fine drivers. The underlying cause is usually insurance. I know I pay as much for insurance as both my parents do combined, and my car is titled in my father's name to help with the insurance costs. This, combined with gas prices, means that people would rather let mom drive them around. No shame in having mom drive you on your first date :rolleyes::rolleyes:

I work a lot too, so I can afford a car (and its maintenance). But it isn't economically feasible for most people I know.
 
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slamhouse

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Im 20 and bought my jetta when i was 19 for 20k $ financed at 5.7%. I pay 400 a month for insurance and 330 a mo th for the car payment.

730$ a month just to have it sit in the driveway.

I consider myself responsible and i believe the big factor in teen driving is outside influence from friends and their habits...
 

T-Roy

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Gosh I remember taking my driving test in a 1969 Buick Skylark 2 door hardtop way back in 1976. Remember those separate shoulder and lap belts on the cars in that era?
My 1992 Jetta has seat belts like that, everyone who rides in the passenger seat usually takes awhile to figure them out since it's an unorthodox style these days. I love it...lol

Strangely enough the older 84 has "normal" 3 point seat belts like most cars. Maybe since it was made in USA instead of coming over on a crate from Wolfsburg, Germany like the 92.
 

sgoldste01

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My Dad's 1976 Rabbit had the shoulder belt that was anchored to the door. I don't recall if it had a lap belts at all. I think there was some kind of a knee pad that was supposed to keep you from submarining down into the foot area. Seems pretty sketchy to me, now that I think about it.
 
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MrMopar

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1993 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme had the combination lap/shoulder belt attached to the door. I always felt that was a bit weird and inside my head I always pictured some kind of wicked accident that would tear the door clean off the car and really do a number to the passengers when that seatbelt was wrapped incredibly tight around your lap and torso. With the numbers of those cars that were made it had to have happened somewhere.
 

That Guy

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Gosh I remember taking my driving test in a 1969 Buick Skylark 2 door hardtop way back in 1976. Remember those separate shoulder and lap belts on the cars in that era?
My parents had a 69 Buick Skylark....green with black vinyl roof. :D

I learned how to drive on that and a 49 Chev....back in the late 70's.

I don't know why the kids today wouldn't want to get their license right away.

I loved driving....drove the Chev when I was 4. Well...I pushed on the starter on the floor while it was in gear but the ignition was off. It'd move the truck ahead a little at a time while my dad shoveled "stuff" off the back into the garden.

Could reach the pedals when I was 7. Drove around the farm for years.

Got my learners when I was 14...and my license a day or so after I turned 16.

Driving rules. :cool:

I'm 40 now...and still like driving....but don't really care to much for many of the other drivers these days.:rolleyes:
 

bhtooefr

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I think that graduated licensing should work a different way from how it currently does.

Right now, graduated licensing restricts when you can drive, and with how many people you can drive. (Also, implementations that let you bypass requirements the moment you turn 18 suck.)

IMO, graduated licensing should focus more on WHAT you can drive.

A basic license that would be almost impossible to lose should get you the equivalent of Europe's light quadricycles - they'll get you to work, although they'll be deathtraps on anything more than 35 mph roads. (In fact, Europe treats a light quadricycle as a four-wheel moped, legally, so in some states, they'd be illegal to operate on roads with over a 35 mph speed limit - making the closest analogue in the US the Neighborhood Electric Vehicle.) On the flip side, they won't hurt the other guy if you run into someone.

Then, the current licensing standards should get you into something between Europe's heavy quadricycles and a four-wheel variation on the maximum of the US three-wheel motorcycle laws (1499-1749 pound max, depending on state - I'm in favor of making it 1749 so that there's enough Geo Metros out there to make it work). This would require another test.

Note that both of those classes would have low or non-existent safety requirements on the cars.

To drive what people would call a "real car", you would need to pass a "real car" test, which would nearly be CDL strict. There would still be limits on this class, too, though - 8500 pound max GVWR, 7 passengers max. Also have retesting every 5-10 years.

Anything more than that, as well as towing anything above a certain length or weight, would require a full Class C CDL. And, CDLs should be retested at renewal.
 
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