I’m not originally from the great rural state of South Dakota, though I’ve lived here for the past, gulp, 17 years. (Wow, has it been that long??) I spent my formative years in Boise, Idaho, and St. Louis, Missouri, so the whole agricultural/country living thing is still fairly alien to me in many ways.
Perhaps my biggest beef with living here is the legal driving age, which is 14. The license is restricted, but if they pass the tests, kids this age can drive by themselves between the hours of 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. While I get that kids this young sometimes need to be able to drive farm equipment, I see no good reason for the typical 14- or 15-year-old to be driving. Let’s face it — most teenagers are stupid. They think they’re invincible, they often like speed and they’re inexperienced. Bad combination of factors.
I realize each kid is different and parents have their own reasons for letting their young teenagers drive, including being able to drive themselves to and from school and sports practices. I can definitely see the appeal there, especially in a place where many of us have to drive a fair amount of miles to get to school.
Maybe I’ll change my mind when my daughters turn 14, but for now I’ve told them that there’s no way in this life that they’re getting a driver’s license until they’re 16. I know there are mature, responsible 14- and 15-year-olds out there, but in my opinion, and obviously it’s colored by not having grown up around here, driving is way too heavy of a burden and responsibility for someone that young. My kids definitely won’t be driving or riding in cars full of other teenagers either.
What do you think? Is 14 or 15 too young to drive? Why or why not?
When I was 15, my state licensed 15-year-olds. My father took me out to drive on back roads when I was 14, to teach me how to handle the car. But, since I didn’t have a car, or a job (so no money for gas, much less car insurance), and never went anywhere by myself anyway (always had older siblings to drive me to school), and didn’t feel right about costing my parents for the extra insurance for no good reason, I didn’t get my license until I was 17 (my senior year).
Still, their are good reasons why I could see that kids that young may be allowed to drive — on a hardship license. One family I know lived in a huge ranch in Texas, and their driveway was 4 miles long! All the kids learned to drive quite young, going to get the mail and things. In the very rural areas, it is more common to get a “hands-on” education, and to gain more experience much younger than other kids get. When a child learns how to drive a tractor (or other similar wheeled vehicle) when they’re 10-12, and shows himself capable and trustworthy, I have less of a problem with them operating a motor vehicle in certain instances. One girl I know will turn 16 in December, and my mom saw her the other day out shopping for groceries by herself, having driven herself the 10 miles or so to the store. She’s the oldest of her siblings, and her mother’s back was hurting so badly that she couldn’t sit and drive, and they were out of food. But that was an unusual situation, and could qualify as “hardship.”
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I agree that 14 is very young. We’ve raised 4 boys (driving age is 16 in CT) and have consistently followed the same rules for all … they each got their driving permits after we felt they were able. My husband and I each drove with them and we sent them to driving school as well. Once they had a license, we had a standing rule of no passengers unless they asked first, and no stop offs here and there without permission … and we checked on them, but they never knew when we were going to do so. They each understood that driving was not a right and the privlege could and would be removed for any infraction. None of them balked, but since both of us had been volunteer EMTs when the kids were young, and they had been exposed to numerous circumstances that resulted in driving deaths, the kids all understood how quickly cars can become coffins. Still, all but one has had at least one accident, fortunately no serious injuries. But none of them think we were too tough. They now range from 20 to 32 years old.
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Sarah
Your name showed up on my google tonight, and for some reason your last get my eye.
Driving at 14 is a little young.
Lou
Wow. I’m kind of glad I don’t have to face that situation.
As a mom of boys who is already well aware of how adding boys to the insurance policy will affect my premiums, I’m curious what adding a 14-yr-old driver would do to your premiums. Is it any different?
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I didn’t get my license until I was 18. My mom didn’t want to teach me, and I couldn’t afford a car anyway. And despite waiting I still totaled my first car. Sigh.
I do think that 15 or 16 is too young, but I think like anything you have to practice driving to get it right. I will probably hold off on getting my girls cars until they have been practicing supervised for at least a year. Of course I have many, many years before I have to enforce this, so it may change!
You are kidding me?! I have a nearly 14 year old daughter who can barely remember to brush her teeth and pack her gym kit for school. The thought of letting her out on her own in a car makes my hair stand up on end. Whilst I understand that this must be a very rural area and a pain for the mums to shuttle to and fro, I think 14 is a little young. Coming from Europe I am still struggling with the concept of 16 year olds driving to be quite honest.
My mom grew up on a farm and drove a tractor. She remembers driving the tractor when she was ten? maybe 12? So yeah on a farm in a rural area where it’s not easy to get places and there is not a lot of traffic, it is useful for the kids (who, if they are farm kids, are probably already used to some responsibility) to be able to drive. In the city where they can ride their bikes or walk (ha it is to laugh), not so much.
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