MASS raising driving limit

[Target Practice]

Nice argument, anyone who disagrees with you is either wrong or has forgotten what is is to be a teen? Crawl back into your hole...

Agreeing with a Lohman post.

You can never have too high of a driving age.

[CoolHand]

I dunno, IMO the law doesn't need to be changed, the damned parents need to pay attention to their kid's education.

"The state says it's OK, so I'm just gonna chuck my kid out on the road having never seen them drive a mile. Then I will be appalled when I finally see how crappily they handle their cars."

People piss me off sometimes, I swear.

Personally, I never had a problem, but I was driving trucks around in the hay fields when I was 12. I started racing stock cars the weekend after I got my license.

You might say I got a "crash course" in defensive driving on the track. If nothing else, a few good solid licks will drive home the point of not jacking around in a car.

Maybe that's what they need to do? Strap folks in and let them ride out a crash at about 45 mph delta V.

You'll think twice about taking your eyes off the road to adjust the radio after you've taken a lick like that, that much is certain.

[tae]

damned parents need to pay attention to their kid's education.

Some maybe not so much. Id post a picture of Michael Jackson holding his baby, but Im lazy.

[bleachit]

Some maybe not so much. Id post a picture of Michael Jackson holding his baby, but Im lazy.

I will raise you a crocodile hunter!

[BeaverEater]

coolhand i completely agree with you. The drivers ed program is just to give the foundation for driving, the parents are ulitmately the real teachers for this. I agree that teen drivers are still unexperienced, but around here the only people that i really ever see are business people talking on there phones thinking that they are important.

[sean33]

i get it may 4th
am i safe??

[RapidTransit]

coolhand i completely agree with you. The drivers ed program is just to give the foundation for driving, the parents are ulitmately the real teachers for this. I agree that teen drivers are still unexperienced, but around here the only people that i really ever see are business people talking on there phones thinking that they are important.

Problem with Parents is they usually are not up to date on everything, I've known some Drivers Ed teachers would get pissed because kids would pick up bad habbits from their parrents so called lessons

[CoolHand]

Problem with Parents is they usually are not up to date on everything, I've known some Drivers Ed teachers would get pissed because kids would pick up bad habbits from their parrents so called lessons

I dunno man, not much has changed about driving a car in the last 30 yrs or so. Bad habits now were bad habits then too. Besides, I think it's better to have 100 hrs of mediocre instruction than 4 hrs or excellent instruction (the quality of which I am dubious of anyway).

My kids are going in go karts as soon as they get to be old enough to handle it. Even if they never set foot on a race track, they will have ten years of learning about car control under their belts before they head out on the highway.

That's about the best you can hope for, I suppose.

[MarkM]

This age thing has been debated before and the reasoning for low age being allowed in some states explained to me (doesn't mean I agree with it but at least it was explained)
In the UK you may ride with Learner plates attached on a 50cc moped at aged 16 and a 125cc at aged 17 both can only be officially ridden for two years after which time you must pass a written and practical test and then you may ride anything..though I believe there is still a cc restriction based upon age.
Car driving is totally different..
Aged 17 you may learn/drive BUT and here is the real kicker, if you learn to drive in an Auto you have a restricted license stating you are only allowed to drive an Auto...if you want to drive a stick shift you have to learn in a stick and should you pass the written and practical test you are then allowed to drive any car auto or stick (insurrance costs aside). There are other restrictions due to physical size...trucks, minibuses etc that are now in force that you have to be of a certain age or have to take another test.
My country also removed the allowance for having a driver with a license sitting next to you when you were learning...now you have to have held the license for a set amount of years AND be over 21, they (the goverment) are attempting to change this to only Advanced drivers are allowed AND dual controlled vehicles though this is doubtful they will get the last part through
My license was issued some time ago and most all of the vehicle wieght restrictions do not apply to me and those that do have always needed an additional test. An additional bonus for me is that I can ride a 50cc moped with no Learner plates...I have only taken advantage of this a handful of times borrowing a moped at home and whilst on holiday in Greece so this part of my license is basically unused for me.

[LudavicoSoldier]

Maybe if wealthy Massachusetts suburban parents would stop buying their new drivers BMW sports cars, they would stop wrapping them around trees at 90mph.

BRILLIANT!

[RapidTransit]

The law should be every teen has to drive a Mopar C-Body Land Yacht with a smogged 318 and a peg leg diff non powerd drums and no power steering and a 3 speed on the column.

[skife]

young drivers = stupid drivers, no questions asked. They're immature and not ready to be on the road yet.

agreed

me and a buddy of mine who is 18 are on our way so he can take his drivers test, and there were on a 2 lane one way road where the speed limit is 55, were doing 55. can't see a car in front of us or behind us about a half a mile each way.
some kid in his mommy's SUV is in the turn around part and cuts right in front of us, were in the driving lane, not the passing lane. we would have hit the kid if my buddy had a slower reaction time. we get up next to the kid and pass him and he look to have had his lisence for a month or so...

damn kids.

[jdev]

Maybe if wealthy Massachusetts suburban parents would stop buying their new drivers BMW sports cars, they would stop wrapping them around trees at 90mph.

BRILLIANT!

haha. agreed.

I dont think raising the driving age is going to do anything. An inexperienced driver at 17.5 is the same as an inexperienced driver at 16. I agree there should be higher standards for drivers education. When I got my license, the best place to go was actually sears driving school. They have a great program there. I am not sure if they still do this or not. The state needs to mandate the driving programs. There are tons of driving schools out there. I think that the state should say which ones are certified to be teaching others to drive and which are not. To go with what bill said, I agree that there should be better defensive driving skills taught to young drivers. I didnt have that luxury, but, did learn it on my own just as bill did, in an empty parking lot. State can raise the driving age all the want, I dont think it is going to dramatically decrease accidents in that age bracket.