Driver's licenses

[A18]

That test isn't the big deal. You have to go through hours and hours of Behind the Wheel.

[Mikem]

That test isn't the big deal. You have to go through hours and hours of Behind the Wheel.

So the entire point of this is to keep 15 year old kids from having to get instruction behind the wheel before they go out into a dangerous environment?  Oh my god that is so important, and really provides a large net benefit to society as a whole.

Try again please, I dont think that anyone with any sense will be up in arms about the hours wasted by highshool kids learning to drive.

this pointless discussion is going no where

[Lunar]

That test isn't the big deal. You have to go through hours and hours of Behind the Wheel.

Not if you wait until you're an adult, that's only for minors.

If you're talking about the ..what..50 hours with your parents or whatever, it's an honor policy.  If you have the experience and can past the DMV driving test then it doesn't matter.

Because you don't want to learn how to drive with an experienced driver in the car..we should get rid of it?  Your own logic earlier dictated that you would want to get this experience anyway because it's safer..so how is it anymore of a hassle on you?

[dazzleman]

Not to mention that the drivers test could be passed easily by a quasi-reatrded monkey.  If you fail the test, do everyone a favor and stay off the road.  And please remove your genes from the pool while you are at it.

Ain't that the truth....

My driving test consisted of driving around the block, basically.  It could hardly have been easier.  If anything, the test should be more difficult to prevent unsupervised operation by people before they are ready to deal with real challenges on the road.  The road test I took contained no real challenges.  If I'd failed, it would have been for some obscure reason.

[ATFFL]

I would just be quicker to take the bloody things away from people. 

DUI?  You never get to drive again.

Reckless driving?  You never get to drive again.

25mph over the limit?  You never get to drive again.

5 moving violations in any 5 year period?  You never get to drive again.

Park in a handicapped spot illegally?  We make it legal for you to use one in the future.

[??????????]

I would just be quicker to take the bloody things away from people. 

DUI?  You never get to drive again.

Reckless driving?  You never get to drive again.

25mph over the limit?  You never get to drive again.

5 moving violations in any 5 year period?  You never get to drive again.

Park in a handicapped spot illegally?  We make it legal for you to use one in the future.

Fascist

[badnarikin04]

I would just be quicker to take the bloody things away from people. 

DUI?  You never get to drive again.

Reckless driving?  You never get to drive again.

25mph over the limit?  You never get to drive again.

5 moving violations in any 5 year period?  You never get to drive again.

Park in a handicapped spot illegally?  We make it legal for you to use one in the future.

Facist

You don't throw that word around often.

I concur, but at least spell it right. It's fascist.

I'm a veteran on the calling-people-fascist circuit. You'll have it down in no time.

[dazzleman]

I would just be quicker to take the bloody things away from people. 

DUI?  You never get to drive again.

Reckless driving?  You never get to drive again.

25mph over the limit?  You never get to drive again.

5 moving violations in any 5 year period?  You never get to drive again.

Park in a handicapped spot illegally?  We make it legal for you to use one in the future.

Dude, do you drive yourself?  Just about EVERYBODY who drives has done each of those things you listed at one time or another.  Well, I never had 5 moving violations in a five-year period, but I had 3, and most of my friends have had at least that many at various times.   And on the highway under the right conditions, I've gone 25 mph over the speed limit, or close to it, countless times.  I also had a close call with a potential DUI once, but that was a lot more rare.

I'm not saying people shouldn't be penalized for these things, but your penalties are a little harsh.  In my opinion, I was never penalized enough the times I got nailed, and neither were any of my friends in the cases that I know about, but I think appropriate penalties could be a little stricter than the slap-on-the-wrist fines that I've gotten without approaching the draconian penalties that you proposed.

[ATFFL]

I would just be quicker to take the bloody things away from people. 

DUI?  You never get to drive again.

Reckless driving?  You never get to drive again.

25mph over the limit?  You never get to drive again.

5 moving violations in any 5 year period?  You never get to drive again.

Park in a handicapped spot illegally?  We make it legal for you to use one in the future.

Dude, do you drive yourself?  Just about EVERYBODY who drives has done each of those things you listed at one time or another.  Well, I never had 5 moving violations in a five-year period, but I had 3, and most of my friends have had at least that many at various times.   And on the highway under the right conditions, I've gone 25 mph over the speed limit, or close to it, countless times.  I also had a close call with a potential DUI once, but that was a lot more rare.

I'm not saying people shouldn't be penalized for these things, but your penalties are a little harsh.  In my opinion, I was never penalized enough the times I got nailed, and neither were any of my friends in the cases that I know about, but I think appropriate penalties could be a little stricter than the slap-on-the-wrist fines that I've gotten without approaching the draconian penalties that you proposed.

Nope, I don't drive.  My eyes are too messed up.  Idiots still gave me a license though.  This is how I know that the little slip of plastic does not indicate the actual ability of the posessor to control a motor vehicle.

Other than the 25 mph over the limit they are really not harsh standards.  It takes a lot, I mean a lot, to get a reckless driving charge; even then it is usually reduced by the judge.  You yourself pointed out that it takes a lot of effort to get 5 moving violations piled up in 5 years.  Most people get to 2 or 3 and catch on to the need to control themselves.

The crippling people who illegally use a handicapped spot was a joke.  Would be fun if a judge offered it to a chronic offender though.

[Nym90]

5 moving violations in any 5 year period? You never get to drive again.

*Has 4 moving violations in the last 3 years, will drive VERY carefully for the next 2 years....*

[dazzleman]

[
Nope, I don't drive.  My eyes are too messed up.  Idiots still gave me a license though.  This is how I know that the little slip of plastic does not indicate the actual ability of the posessor to control a motor vehicle.

Other than the 25 mph over the limit they are really not harsh standards.  It takes a lot, I mean a lot, to get a reckless driving charge; even then it is usually reduced by the judge.  You yourself pointed out that it takes a lot of effort to get 5 moving violations piled up in 5 years.  Most people get to 2 or 3 and catch on to the need to control themselves.

The crippling people who illegally use a handicapped spot was a joke.  Would be fun if a judge offered it to a chronic offender though.

You're right that the piece of plastic a license represents doesn't really mean much, unfortunately.

I have to be honest - I got 3 tickets in less than 3 years, and I never caught on to the need to control myself.  There was no reason to -  I wasn't penalized heavily enough.  Every time I got nailed, I simply paid a light fine and kept speeding.  After those 3 tickets, I went a long time after that without another ticket, but that was only luck.  Getting tickets never made me slow down.   I agree that stronger measures should be taken against persistent violators, but I think suspension for a period of time is more appropriate than lifetime revocation.

Reckless driving can mean a lot of different things.  True reckless driving should bring a heavy fine, suspension for a period of time, and possibly jail time if serious enough.  But reckless driving is a very elastic term, and in some states simply means going 20+ mph over the speed limit, which is something I do all the time and have been ticketed for.  A lot depends on the context.

Under your rules, almost nobody that I know would be able to drive.  Come to think of it, that may be a good thing!

One thing I favor when it comes to licenses is a more difficult road test, and possibly periodic retesting to make sure people are keeping up their skills.

[Josh/Devilman88]

Keep it at 16. But they should make it harder to get your licenses. 

[A18]

I shouldn't have to go through some professional Behind the Wheel crap just to drive. If I wait until I'm 18, can I bypass all that?

[danwxman]

I shouldn't have to go through some professional Behind the Wheel crap just to drive. If I wait until I'm 18, can I bypass all that?

No.

[A18]

In any state?

[Josh/Devilman88]

In any state?

No just because you are 18 doesn't mean you know how to drive.

[Mikem]

I shouldn't have to go through some professional Behind the Wheel crap just to drive. If I wait until I'm 18, can I bypass all that?

Why shouldnt you have to?  I guess you are special and superior in some way.  Give it a rest, go through the motions and quit whining.

Are you really serious that you would want to wait till you are 18 to drive because you dont want to take a stupid class for a few measly hours?  I am sorry but you are absolutely absurd.  I guess your time is just to valuable to take drivers ed, what with you being a child and all and having tons of responsibilities on your shoulders.

I guess you are such a great and experienced driver since mommy has let you drive the family car a few times that you dont need any instruction like everyone else on the planet.  The class is there for a reason, not just to piss you off.  I was excited to go to drivers ed becuase it meant I would get my license sooner, eventhough my parents had been teaching me to drive since I was 14.  I still learned in the class, and so will you.

[A18]

Amos, I'm talking about skipping Behind The Wheel. The written test I'm fine with. Is there any way to do that?

I have absolutely nowhere to drive to, so yes, I would gladly wait until 18.

[Josh/Devilman88]

Amos, I'm talking about skipping Behind The Wheel. The written test I'm fine with. Is there any way to do that?

I have absolutely nowhere to drive to, so yes, I would gladly wait until 18.

I know many people who passed the written part, but they didn't know what to do behind the wheel. Both parts are needed.

[A18]

Regardless of whether they're needed or not, is there any way to skip it in any state?

[Nation]

The problem with 30,40,50 hours of supervised driving time -- is that a lot of parents and kids sign the sheets anyway, without actually doing the driving.

[??????????]

What I learned from driving school I rarely apply to real life.

[MN-Troy]

Regardless of whether they're needed or not, is there any way to skip it in any state?

If I remember right in Minnesota is that one can avoid behind the wheel training once you turn 18. 

[Gabu]

You're right that the piece of plastic a license represents doesn't really mean much, unfortunately.

It must be easier to get a license in America (or at least in certain parts of America).  Here, at least, the license does actually represent quite a bit: it means that you passed a written exam, a vision exam, and two road tests in which you prove your competency to a certified instructor.

[Erc]

Two road tests?

Ouch.

I took two road tests...but that was because I failed the first one.