What should be the legal driving age?

[TDAS04]

What do you think?

[Santander]

16 or 17 is fine with me.

[OSR stands with Israel]

16

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

Tbh I think it should be different in rural and urban areas.

[Goldwater]

Tbh I think it should be different in rural and urban areas.

Not a bad idea, although I wonder how well such a thing could be enforced.

[Figueira]

I don't really know.

That said, I didn't learn how to drive when I was 16-18, and now I deeply regret it.

[Ban my account ffs!]

Tbh I think it should be different in rural and urban areas.

Not a bad idea, although I wonder how well such a thing could be enforced.

Give anyone 16 or 17 a license but only for rural areas?

[Enduro]

I think 15 year olds should be eligible for a learner's permit, but can't get a license until they turn 16.

[muon2]

Tbh I think it should be different in rural and urban areas.

Not a bad idea, although I wonder how well such a thing could be enforced.

Give anyone 16 or 17 a license but only for rural areas?

Perhaps conditional on working on a farm. Some states have specific agricultural permits for driving related to a farm. In WA it is for those under 18 with no minimum age. Other states like IL allow anyone to operate farm machinery with or without a license on roads between a farm and nearby farm buildings.

[dead0man]

Make the test harder for everybody.  Too many people on the road don't really know what they are doing.  I don't really care about age, it's just a number.  Make the test hard and stressful and let anybody who's feet can reach the pedals take the test if they want.

ok, that's just silly and will never happen.  16 is fine.  That's when I learned...well, I learned when I was 15, became legal at 16.

[beaver2.0]

17.

[Antonio the Sixth]

16 with adult supervision, 18 alone.

[Del Tachi]

Licenses should be available to people as young as 13

[Figueira]

Make the test harder for everybody.  Too many people on the road don't really know what they are doing.  I don't really care about age, it's just a number.  Make the test hard and stressful and let anybody who's feet can reach the pedals take the test if they want.

Huh, I don't usually agree with dead0man, but this is spot-on.

[Wells]

If I had to choose, 15, but make it available for people as young as twelve to learn and practice with a permit so that inexperienced drivers don't clog the streets.

[Ban my account ffs!]

Tbh I think it should be different in rural and urban areas.

Not a bad idea, although I wonder how well such a thing could be enforced.

Give anyone 16 or 17 a license but only for rural areas?

Perhaps conditional on working on a farm. Some states have specific agricultural permits for driving related to a farm. In WA it is for those under 18 with no minimum age. Other states like IL allow anyone to operate farm machinery with or without a license on roads between a farm and nearby farm buildings.

If you're going to go that route, then you should also add stipulations for transporting disabled parents.
I argued for more general rural drivers license because rural areas do not have public transportation options.  The test should still be just as stringent.

[dax00]

14, with a more difficult test.

[ElectionsGuy]

Its fine as it is now.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

13 to operate a self-driving vehicle, 21 to take the wheel themselves. Of course that'll have to wait another decade or two to make self-driving vehicles practical, but they are coming and when they do, such a bifurcated driving age will make perfect sense.

[politicallefty]

Make the test harder for everybody.  Too many people on the road don't really know what they are doing.

I agree with this. The testing should be more difficult. I'd go one step further and say that everyone should have to periodically retake both the written and driving tests. I'm thinking the written test should have to be taken every time you renew your license, such as every five years. On top of that, once every other time (say once every 10 years), you should have to retake the driving test. Some people may ask about those that fail. I would ask if you really want those people on the road. It doesn't really make sense to take a test once (at least if you stay in the same state) and suddenly be granted a license for what could be several decades.

As for the age itself, I could see allowing for a permit at either 15 or 16, but not a full license until at least 18. I think for anyone, if you're going for your first driver's license, you should have to hold a permit for at least six months (maybe even a year).

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Fourteen.

[Kingpoleon]

1. Make the test harder and study booklet thicker.
2. Permit may be received if the applicant is at least twelve years and can reach the pedal.
3. One can then apply for a license when fourteen.

[dead0man]

Make the test harder for everybody.  Too many people on the road don't really know what they are doing.

I agree with this. The testing should be more difficult. I'd go one step further and say that everyone should have to periodically retake both the written and driving tests. I'm thinking the written test should have to be taken every time you renew your license, such as every five years. On top of that, once every other time (say once every 10 years), you should have to retake the driving test. Some people may ask about those that fail. I would ask if you really want those people on the road. It doesn't really make sense to take a test once (at least if you stay in the same state) and suddenly be granted a license for what could be several decades.

I'm 42 and have had a license since 16.  I took drivers ed in HS, took a written and driving test to get my license.  Moved to GA when I was 21 and had to take a written test.  I've moved 4 states since then, got a license in 3 of them.  Have never had to take a test, written or driving.  And it's not like I have a clean record.  A couple of accidents and a whole mess of moving violations.  21 years, no tests.  I mean, good for me I guess, but that's a sh**tty system.

[Mr. Smith]

As things are now either:

15 for an Automatics Only permit
16 for an Automatics Only License
18 to apply for a General, because seriously Stick Shift is just not something to trust on novices and it would be good to allow a few years of just driving without worrying about a clutch.

Or:

Switch the voting age and driver's license ages respectively.

[Senator-elect Spark]

16 for a permit
18 for any license