The new teen driving laws have changed dramatically from the old teen driving laws, in my opinion for the worst. Teen driving is meant to keep kids safe but the new laws I think are going to be just as bad. I hope my reasons will change your mind too. .
The older generation has a different view. They think that a 16 year old is not capable of maneuvering a vehicle safely. They have collected a lot of data of teen wrecks. .
The old teen driving laws state that if you are under 17 you cannot have more than 3 non-family members in the car at the same time. The old law also states that under the age of 18 you cannot be driving between the hours of midnight and 5 am.
The new laws have changed the rules some but still allow driving at the age of 16. However, the new law states that you cannot have any non-family riders for the first 6 months of driving. The curfew has been altered to before midnight. You cannot drive prior to 6am unless it is a church, school or emergency function. .
My view is that not all 16 years old kids are the same and they should not all be punished for others mistakes. I am a very careful and responsible driver, however I would like to have a friend at times with me in the vehicle. I do not think they would be a distraction for me. A real friend is interested in your well-being as well as their own. Some children at 16 have jobs in which they need transportation to get to. Others, in single family households, may have to transport younger siblings while their mother or father is at work. .
In my opinion, driver license issuance should be a parent's decision and grades. .
It is highly unfair to punish all children when only some are at fault. Also, I think if you target a certain age group the numbers will appear to be high. Such as, when they pull the numbers on teen accidents, I think that if they also pulled the numbers for people in their 60's the numbers would surprise people as well.
