According to news reports, Georgia has recently licensed almost 20,000 underage teens without their having to take a road test. Wisconsin is said to soon be doing the same. It appears that both states are relying on parents certifying readiness.

This doesn't strike me as a sound approach.

 

According to the news reports I read, it's a temporary thing, at least in Georgia because of the COVID-19 virus. I still think it's an accident waiting to happen though.

 

they must be running out of people to write tickets to

 

Until road-tests become available again, why not just put the kids on a driving-simulator? It won't match the exact vehicle they will probably be driving on the road-test, but is certainly better than nothing.

 

Heard the exact same thing. Either eliminate issuing drivers licenses during this period or keep the road test. Just wear masks. Imagine some of these kids that cant do a 3-point turn. Stupidity reins in society today.

 

Growing up in Florida in the late 1980s, I got my learner's permit at 15, but you wanted a full license at 16 or later....road test.

In Mexico City, both Mexico State and Mexico City itself, as I recall before 18 (I believe it was at 16), teens could get a license but with rules and road test, BUT once you were 18, you could literally get a license, no test of any kind, simply by showing legal documentation like your passport and a utility bill and about $45 USD roughly, with Mexicans it was their electoral card and a utility bill and the same amount. Some other states did have rules and/or road test, foreigner or not.

 

literally no one re roads test after they get their license at 16, whats the difference, even the most horrid of "experienced" drivers

 

The majority of teens I see driving are looking down and texting. This is just another nail in the coffin.
Everything else is delayed, why not delay being able to get a license? Oh wait, that would be too logical.

-CA

 

Some states have graduated-licensing requirements. They don't give out an unrestricted license all at once. You have to complete the requirements of each stage successfully, and then go on to the next one.

You do have a point, though, about everything else being delayed. Some people, though, including teens, especially now that many schools are still closed, need a license just to be able to drive back and forth to work.

 

Where are people going to get access to a driving simulator? Amazon?

 

Don't some driving schools today have them?

 

The difference is it allows kids to get a license with *literally* 0 hours behind the wheel if their parents are willing to fudge the consent form; which I guaranty many are willing to do. At least bad driver renewing their license have 1000s and 1000s of hours of real on-road experience.

My kid didn't even know how the turn signal worked before his first driving lesson.

 

I'm not sure how many schools still teach driver's ed these days. But schools are closed so it doesn't really matter.

 

I saw that. Truly the road test in MD is so worthless I don't think it matters. When I got my license 24 years ago all it was was parallel parking, a 3 point turn, and backing up 100 feet. On a closed course. Today I don't think they even do the parallel parking. They require a private driving school give you so many hours of road instruction and sign off, I don't see how seeing you do those 3 things makes you much safer on the road.

 

From what I've seen, most of driving safety is simple common sense....something that cannot always be taught in a classroom, although, back in my day, I found the old Signal-30 film, which was made before cars had many of the safety devices they do today, to be quite a deterrent (wish some of my schoolmates could have said the same). I've stated before, and still feel, that one requirement for a license would be for teens to spend at least one evening, preferably on Friday or Saturday night, when most DWI accidents happen, at the Emergency room of a local hospital (Assuming there is a hospital in reasonable distance). There is probably no substitute for seeing the effects of alcohol, excessive speed, and stupidity first-hand.