Legal Driving Ages

[ShylockHolmes]

In the old days driving without a license was simply a ticket and sometimes the cops would drive away right after issuing it

 

[itsbenjibrand]

That's a real danger. That's just endangering everyone and unacceptable.

No, it is not. You'd be suprised how many of them drive acceptably. Just because 14 year olds are moronic and immature in other activities doesn't mean they can't drive properly and/or maturely.

 

[Murcie_LP640]

People in many states and/or countries drive moronic and immaturely, no matter what their age is.

 

[itsbenjibrand]

People in many states and/or countries drive moronic and immaturely, no matter what their age is.

Exactly. There's dangerous drivers everywhere. Let em' drive when they're younger anyway.

 

[Wolfe]

And if you fail you can take it again after 10 days or something like that. If you can't drive today, you still won't be able to drive 10 days from now. Maybe in 3 months if you go and take a course, but not 10 days.

I failed my first driving test because I failed to make it bleedingly obvious with exaggerated gestures that I was looking both ways at an uncontrolled intersection. I calmly passed through two of them (looking and covering the brake as taught) and was directed right back to the DMV, where I was told I'd failed.

Driving tests are a joke, but there are enough variables involved that it's practically a lottery, at least in this country. A nervous teenager with bare minimum experience and little to no interest in cars or driving could have passed my first test easily. In that case I'm glad I was able to retest in less than a month. Not all failures are due to incompetence. The test itself is incompetent.

Also, it was just because of when my birthday was that I did everything in the winter, but people can get their licence here and have never driven on snow. Then we wonder why there's a pileup every time there's a storm.

I remember seeing a video of a device that allowed year-round winter driving education. A frame with casters was bolted around a car and adjusted so that the car's tires barely touched the ground, simulating snowy/icy conditions. I think it was used in Sweden or Finland. We could use it here if we ever bothered to teach actual car control.

At the end of the day, driving has to be treated as a privilege and not a right, and it needs to be more difficult to get a licence.

In the united states driving is considered even more than a "right." It's something we automatically assume everyone will do when they turn 16. People with absolutely no inclination to learn to drive are being shoehorned into 2-ton boxes on wheels and given few, if any, alternatives for transportation. It's an attitude that is overdue for change.

I also strongly agree that everyone should have to take an advanced driving course, or at least be taught advanced techniques by someone who has proven their abilities. If you have no idea what your car is capable of, you won't know how to react when something unexpected happens.

I agree. The driving test should involve driving, not just take you on a rolling recap of traffic rules and things you already answered on the written test. I was amazed and excited to discover my Motorcycle Safety Foundation course involved riding around cones and testing skills. We need that in general driver's education.

 

[imported_alexleighton]

I failed my first driving test because I failed to make it bleedingly obvious with exaggerated gestures that I was looking both ways at an uncontrolled intersection. I calmly passed through two of them (looking and covering the brake as taught) and was directed right back to the DMV, where I was told I'd failed.

Driving tests are a joke, but there are enough variables involved that it's practically a lottery, at least in this country. A nervous teenager with bare minimum experience and little to no interest in cars or driving could have passed my first test easily. In that case I'm glad I was able to retest in less than a month. Not all failures are due to incompetence. The test itself is incompetent.


I remember seeing a video of a device that allowed year-round winter driving education. A frame with casters was bolted around a car and adjusted so that the car's tires barely touched the ground, simulating snowy/icy conditions. I think it was used in Sweden or Finland. We could use it here if we ever bothered to teach actual car control.


In the united states driving is considered even more than a "right." It's something we automatically assume everyone will do when they turn 16. People with absolutely no inclination to learn to drive are being shoehorned into 2-ton boxes on wheels and given few, if any, alternatives for transportation. It's an attitude that is overdue for change.


I agree. The driving test should involve driving, not just take you on a rolling recap of traffic rules and things you already answered on the written test. I was amazed and excited to discover my Motorcycle Safety Foundation course involved riding around cones and testing skills. We need that in general driver's education.

Yeah, I would guess the 10 day retesting was probably decided on because of situations like yours, it seems as though the testers are all trained differently, and there's no real consistency about what they look for. I remember my dad told me to "ham it up" during my test, because he said the testers don't always pay attention. I also know that they have a fail quota which they have to meet every day (at least here), which is just plain wrong. I've heard that it's better to get a test early in the day if possible, because towards the end of the day they'll fail people without good reason to fill their quotas.

I'm going to look into this frame though, because that does sound like a pretty good alternative to actual winter driving. Even a wet/oily surface would be better than nothing.

Also, just a funny story that doesn't really apply today as much, but it goes back to the idea of driving being a right. When my grandmother was getting her licence in the 30s, she not only failed the test, but ended by putting the car in the ditch. But the instructor decided that since she lived in the country and would have to drive into town for high school, he would give her the licence anyways. By some miracle she never had a major accident during her 60ish years of driving, but she said after she stopped driving that it never stopped being terrifying.

 

[Wolfe]

Yeah, I would guess the 10 day retesting was probably decided on because of situations like yours, it seems as though the testers are all trained differently, and there's no real consistency about what they look for. I remember my dad told me to "ham it up" during my test, because he said the testers don't always pay attention. I also know that they have a fail quota which they have to meet every day (at least here), which is just plain wrong. I've heard that it's better to get a test early in the day if possible, because towards the end of the day they'll fail people without good reason to fill their quotas.

Exactly. That "ham it up" advice is what I give to anyone about to take the test, after my experience. If we had a truly fair and comprehensive driving test I'm sure they'd have no need for fail quotas. Of course, "fair and comprehensive" means different things to different people.

I'm going to look into this frame though, because that does sound like a pretty good alternative to actual winter driving. Even a wet/oily surface would be better than nothing.

I found it, turns out it's called a "skid car" and there are plenty of videos. I couldn't find the one I originally saw, but you can watch the driver lose control in this one. Another one I found was for police/emergency driver training, so the concept has gotten around.

Also, just a funny story...

I think driving can be terrifying for many of us; after all, we're complaining about lax driving tests.