Senate Forcing States to Enact Stricter Teen Driving Laws

[Don]

Congress is employing the same tactic it used to raise the drinking age to compel states to enact new teenage driving laws.
Three decades ago, Washington prodded the states to raise the legal drinking age to 21 by threatening to withhold federal transportation dollars if they didn't.
The threat worked.
Now, Congress is looking at using similar threats to compel states to pass new driving laws covering everything from teen texting to minimum driving ages.
Provisions passed Wednesday in the Senate would urge states to implement, among other new rules, a three-stage licensing process -- first a learner's permit, then an intermediate one and finally a driver's license.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/201...riving-rules/?test=latestnews?test=latestnews


The only thing this will actually do, is cost individuals more money from having to visit the DMV multiple times.

 

[billwald]

It might be a safer world if a person learned to control his drinking before he learned to drive.

 

[matt wade]

We should raise the driving age to 18 across the board.

 

[Salty]

We should raise the driving age to 18 across the board.

Under NY State Law, the minimum age to drive in NY City IS 18. Upstate, teens can get a license /permit at age 16. Having been in the Sunshine State, 18 might not be a bad ideal for Fla.

However, you go out to Montana - and the age is 14 1/2 - and thats not a problem as the kids probably start driving at age 7 or 8.

That is the beauty of the US- we let States or Commonwealths decide for themselves what is best for themselves (at least years ago, we did) . Montana is not NY City - thus they need different laws.

The feds need to STOP interfering with the decisions of the States or Commonwealths.


Here is a link of State/Commonwealth driving laws.

Salty
Certified Driving Instructor

 

[Oldtimer]

If the states would stop feeding at the federal trough, they wouldn't be "forced" to do anything that isn't mandated by the Constitution.

The threat to withhold funding is how the feds took over education and so many other things the states yielded to them for bucks.

 

[Salty]

If the states would stop feeding at the federal trough, they wouldn't be "forced" to do anything that isn't mandated by the Constitution.

The threat to withhold funding is how the feds took over education and so many other things the states yielded to them for bucks.

True, so very true -

 

[Jon-Marc]

We should raise the driving age to 18 across the board.

I agree. 16 is too young to be driving.

 

[ChristianLady1978]

There are some 16 year olds that are certainly mature enough to be driving. There are also some 30 year olds who have no business behind the wheel. Honestly, folks just need to learn to pay attention behind the wheel, regardless of how young or old they are.

 

[Squidward]

Generally, 16 year olds are pretty scatterbrained and are dangerous behind the wheel. Not to mention the addiction teens have with keeping their head down and glued to their phone. Rarely do I see a teen by themselves not staring at their phone.

 

[Salty]

Generally, ...

that is the key word.

Why should a responsible 16 YO be prohibited from driving because others are not responsible.

Proper driving instruction does help. In fact, I believe all individuals under the age of 25 should be required to have some professional driving lessons.