No school, no licence

[Miss Chicken]

I wonder if anyone here lives in a state or country that has a policy similar to one being proposed here in Tasmania. Or if youe state/country doesn't have such a policy would you approve if it was introduced?

STUDENTS who skip school could soon face more than lunchtime detention under a Liberals plan.
Liberal leader Will Hodgman wants to stop students with bad school records getting their driver's licence for up to two years.
Those with high absenteeism rates, suspensions or expulsions could have to wait until after they turn 18 to apply for a learner's permit.
Driving was a privilege, not a right, Mr Hodgman said.
"If we can't trust students behind the desk, how can we trust them behind the wheel?" he said.

Rest of story here

 

[CorporalClegg]

I think it's fair.

Frankly, I think everyone should have to wait until 18 to drive. 16 years old simply aren't mature enough. But that's a whole other discussion.

 

[Kirk's_Tights]

I think it's stupid.


First off, if some kid decides to screw up his future and skip school or whatever, let him. It's his choice, his life, he'll pay for it when he gets older.


Second, age has nothing to do with being a good driver. I have encountered endless people who shouldn't be behind the wheel who are adults and know teens who drive perfectly.


Showing up for school has nothing to do with driving.

 

[An Officer]

I think that's a little extreme, not every child is cut out for school learning.

 

[Vulcan Princess]

That was the law here in California when I got my drivers' license 12 years ago. I don't know if it's changed, though. They changed the laws for 16-17 year-olds getting their license shortly after I got mine, so I'm not up on the current laws.

 

[DiSiLLUSiON]

A lot of countries already have the 18yr limit. If you ask me, it could even be bumped up to 21.

Though using it as punishment for absence or dropping out of school seems silly.

 

[john titor]

I think its not a bad idea. It incentives people to stay in school as owning a car is as populist as you can get and denying it based on school records will have a knock on effect of reducing drop outs which is better for a multitude of social outcomes.

 

[Lindley]

They don't necessarily need to deny cars to truants; merely double their insurance rates or something.

 

[Chaos Descending]

Terrible idea.

 

[DiSiLLUSiON]

It incentives people to stay in school as owning a car is as populist as you can get [..]

Perhaps in the United States, but not here. Most students simply use public transportation; the money that would've gone to a car simply goes toward going out twice a week. High school students may not take driving lessons for a car, but they can take driving lessons for a scooter when they turn 16. However, those with a scooter are still quite in the minority, especially since they can't drive on the bycicle sides of the roads any longer; thereby negating much of it positive points.

As such, making up penalties like a one or two year ban on getting their driver's license would probably have a marginal effect, at best.

On the other hand, for those who start to work at 18 years, it seems like a rather harsh penalty; a lot of jobs do require a driver's license, after all, even if it's just to be able to get to work on time (instead of relying on public transportation which is late half the time). As such, you're taking a lot of job opportunities away from them, thereby giving them even less incentive to finish (or return to) school.

Hmm. Perhaps my idea about bumping it up 21 wasn't such a good idea, after all.

 

[P0sitr0nic]

Personally I think its a great idea. Id also like the age to be 18+, But then Im an over protective dad.

 

[CorporalClegg]

Second, age has nothing to do with being a good driver. I have encountered endless people who shouldn't be behind the wheel who are adults and know teens who drive perfectly.

On a person by person basis, obviously. Except, I was speaking in a general standard.

People grew up a lot between 15 and 18 and usually have a greater sense of responsibility and awareness of things around them. It goes without saying that there are exceptions to this rule, but laws must set standards in absolutes.

In this case teaching an 18 year old instead of a 15 year old to operate such a dangerous machine is simply a sounder, safer course of action.

Plus, there is no place so significant a 16 year old should need to drive to get to.

OTOH, I also think people should be required to re take the driving test (and class, if need be) every ten years.

People are continually becoming worse and worse drivers (Just ask Trekker.), and in short order, driving to the convenience mart for a loaf of bread may as well be a game of Russian roulette.

If you ask me, it could even be bumped up to 21.

Possibly. But it'd be a tough sell.

merely double their insurance rates or something.

Meh. That would only encourage them to drive without insurance which would only lead to a rate hike for the rest of us.

Here in New Mexico, the effect of so many uninsured drives is in full force. I'm 28, have a perfect driving record, drive a modest car, and pay nearly $200 a month for insurance. I don't need it to go up further.

 

[Vulcan Princess]

Here in New Mexico, the effect of so many uninsured drives is in full force. I'm 28, have a perfect driving record, drive a modest car, and pay nearly $200 a month for insurance. I don't need it to go up further.

$200 per month! That's crazy. I'm 27, and I drive an older car, and my insurance is $275 per year.

 

[CorporalClegg]

Yeah. It ends up being a little over $2000 a year. (I pay $1030 every six months.)

I moved from Minnesota when I was 23. My rates had just gone way down an I was paying just over $1200 a year. After I got here and saw my first bill I damn near had a stroke.

It's because their are so many uninsured drivers. Part of the problem is, of course, the Hispanics, illegal or otherwise.

But not to pin the blame solely on them, New Mexico is also has one of the biggest DUI problems. And, of course, most of them are multiple offenders who lose their license and insurance but drive anyway.

And it's really obvious. I drive around and almost one in four cars I see has expired plates, which of course, when you go get the tabs you have to provide proof of insurance.

 

[JuanBolio]

A ridiculous proposal. School attendance should have no bearing on one's driver's license - how one drives and how one does in school are two entirely separate matters. If this plan goes through, they should also penalize adults who skip work.

 

[Warp Coil]

A ridiculous proposal. School attendance should have no bearing on one's driver's license - how one drives and how one does in school are two entirely separate matters. If this plan goes through, they should also penalize adults who skip work.

Gotta agree with this. School attendance and driving privileges are completely different subject matters and should have no legal influence on one another. Now, if parents decided to punish their child for skipping school by denying them access to a car, that's entirely up to them. But I see no legal justification for linking the two activities together.

 

[Michael Chris]

I do not support this measure. I had to skip school on many occasions because of illness. I still had a 4.0 until my last semester when I had a crazy teacher that I avoided because he scared the crap out of me, so I think I would have gotten a B. Although I dropped out before grades were finalized so I could get into college faster.

I also have a driving record with no problems. The only problem would be that I was once pulled over because they thought I was drunk when I was learning to drive stick and really couldn't because of tremors from illness.

 

[Trekker4747]

I think the rule is fine. I assume that in Oz, like in America, driving is privilege and not a right.

[/quote]
Second, age has nothing to do with being a good driver. I have encountered endless people who shouldn't be behind the wheel who are adults and know teens who drive perfectly.[/quote]

I agree. I think of this everytime it's suggested states raise their driving age to 18. First of all, that'd cause a nightmare in the workforce as teen drivers would be more restricted on their transportation as it would then be dependant on any exisiting massed-transit options or parents being able to take them to/from work.

And teen drivers aren't bad drivers because of their age they're bad drivers because they're inexperienced. If you make them wait until 18 then you'll just have a bunch of inexperienced 18 year olds on the road! You wouldn't change the problem at all.

Showing up for school has nothing to do with driving.

True. But driving for many teens is just "one of those things" you can't wait to achieve. Punishing them in this manner is the big-boy equiviliant of not getting any desert because you didn't finish your supper.

do not support this measure. I had to skip school on many occasions because of illness.

I assume such unexcused absences, or absences supported by parents or doctors notes, wouldn't be counted under such a measure.

 

[Michael Chris]

I assume such excused absences, or absences supported by parents or doctors notes, wouldn't be counted under such a measure.

They weren't really excused. Most people did not see that my illness was real (anxiety). I missed, probably, at least half of my classes in high school.

 

[JuanBolio]

Gotta agree with this. School attendance and driving privileges are completely different subject matters and should have no legal influence on one another. Now, if parents decided to punish their child for skipping school by denying them access to a car, that's entirely up to them. But I see no legal justification for linking the two activities together.

I agree 100%.

I had to skip school on many occasions because of illness.

Cool. I chose to skip school because I found that some days I would rather live my life than sit in a classroom full of people I hated to be lectured and tested on things I already knew... but to each his own.

Most people did not see that my illness was real (anxiety).

BOO!