Driving Age?

[jugner]

Do you think it should be raised? Many people talk about gun control, however cars kill exponentially more than guns, shouldn't people care more about this?

Also, why aren't Bush and Kerry saying much about these type of issues? I know Iraq is the biggest issue, but they seem to talk almost entirely on it. I'm not saying it's all they talk about, but it seems to be about 95%.

[General Zod]

I don't think it needs to be raised I drive tractor-trailer/big rig for a living Personnaly I think it's an education issue Adults nowdays and the driving ed instructors don't press onto the young drivers on how to drive sane and sensible

Also maybe some of the older drivers should not be allowed to drive A few yaers back I heard on the radio the AAA said that road signs should be enlarged because as people get over 65 their eyes start to lose vision


Now to me how can you say it's not age discrimination to say a person is to young to drive,but it's discrimination to say you are too old to drive A safety issue you say?
Maybe it's a safety issue for some old people who can barely see or have very slow reflexes to drive safely

[jugner]

Maybe, but the thing I'm thinking of is maturity, young drivers have a feeling of invincibility, which makes them more inclined to drive more reckllesly. Older drivers do have to pass an eye exam, and in some states have to pass a road test yearly at a certain age. My point is older people are always going to be here, waiting a couple years for a license is not going to kill anyone. Actually some lives may be saved. Where I'm from, granted it's a small town, older people may get into accidents, but its always fender benders, little damage but no-one hurt. When a young person gets into an acident it's usually their fault and it involves a lot of damage, and often some fatalities.

[Cosmo_ac]

In Canada, we have a grade system. There's G1, G2, And then the G license. You can go for the G1 license when your 16. It';s w written test, and if you pass you can drive, but only with somebody who has a license for about three years. You can go a year later for your G2, done with a road test, means you can drive on most roads by yourself, but can not drive a vehical out of country, and can not have any alcohal in your blood at any time when driving, even if yuor way under the limit. the G licnese in the final license, and it can be gotten a year later (so most would be 18 by then) which involves another road test, and if yoyu pass then your a designated driver. Also, the amount of points go up per license as well. IE, G1 is 6 points. G2 is 8 points and G is ten points. With the G1 and G2 if you lose a certain amount of points, for speeding, accidents, what have you, you have to go before a tranportation counciler for lack of the proper term, and convince them why you should keep your lisence. It's done a great job of decreasing mortality rates in Canada.

[General Zod]

Sounds like that's what they need down here Cosmo,up there in Canada do you need any special license for driving an RV/motorhome or if you want to tow any kind of trailer like a boat or camper? I know they don't down here

[Cosmo_ac]

yup. We have a license for every different type of vehical more or less.

[jugner]

Sounds like a good system.

[Xodlirv]

I believe some states in America currently have a "graduated license" system for young drivers, 16-21 or thereabouts. They can't drive after a certain time of the evening, or similar. I'm not very familiar with the details of it but I'm pretty sure it exists.

I would definitely advocate a similar system for senior drivers. In most cases their reaction time is not what it used to be. And I have personally witnessed many examples of senior drivers outright disobeying driving laws; cutting across empty parking spaces in a parking lot, running stop signs, etc. It is as though there were some mentality where they felt they had outlived the need to obey traffic laws, or something. I feel that, once you reach 65, you should have to re-take the driving test every year. It will never happen, though, because what age group is most likely to vote?

[MrMacphisto]

I'll put it this way... all of this attention is being put on young drivers, but we need to remember that the elderly are pretty bad at driving too. If we're going to put so much effort into restricting young drivers, we should put an age cap on driver's licenses as well. I'm sorry, but most 90-year olds aren't very good at driving.

[Mitchell]

I dont know if it's still this way, but I recall in the 1980s when my grandparents lived in Florida, I was going through the driver's handbook down there and they said one could get a restricted license at 15, and drive with full license at 16. In Connecticut, where I lived, one could get a full license at 16. I waited a year until I was 17, just not feeling I was ready or comfortable to drive yet. At 17 I took extensive driver in class education and behind the wheel, and passed my test.
As to the question. I dont know if it should be raised. I think nowadays with life as it is, and many kids having to work in addition to school, or with parents having to work late or maybe having multiple jobs, having a license for a teenager is a sense of indepdence if they can drive responsibly. The problem is that some dont take driving seriously, and speed or drink and drive, etc. A license is an essential sense of indpendence, and while raising the driving age would be appropriate in a sense, in another way it isnt realistic, because with life being how it is nowadays, if young people have certain freedoms earlier in life and use them responsibly, it can take certain pressures off of parents who have to work long hours or perhaps have multiple jobs for families to have what they need.

Mitch

[crydun]

I think they should raise the age to 21.

[Xodlirv]

As with drinking alcohol, I'm not sure age is the appropriate yardstick for determining one's fitness to operate a motor vehicle. I'd rather see proof of IQ than ID.

[General Zod]

Crydun
Personally I don't think raising it to 21 would help or even be right If they would raise it to 21,then the earliest I could see anyone joining the military would be 21