I think that high schoolers should definitely be allowed to drive, but with more limits. 

In some states, like Connecticut and Delaware, you have to be 16 before even starting the driving process, whereas in Kansas, you can get your learner’s permit as early as 14.

I think waiting longer can greatly benefit the safety of others on the road.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, in 2023 alone, teen drivers took up 18.9% of traffic fatalities in Kansas

That’s just after getting certified to drive, and the road to that isn’t a very difficult one.

Assuming people are able to afford it, to get a learner’s permit, you can simply go to an eight-hour class of driver’s ed and become authorized to drive. 

One class. 

I took driver’s ed a little under two years ago and remember very little from it. Imagine how many hundreds of teens who take that class and don’t remember anything they were taught. The same teens we all drive on the same roads with every day.

Assuming you pass the test, you get your learner’s permit before leaving that building. I had zero driving experience and was immediately trusted because I did well on a multiple-choice test.

For people not in a financial situation to go to driver’s ed, they can take a test at the DMV for their learner’s permit and wait till they are 16 to get a license. Meaning they were never taught any of the things others who took the class were, like the videos shown or the discussions had. 

I know that you are required to have a certain number of driving hours, but none of that is ever proven before getting a license.

Along with many other people, I was never given the opportunity before driving to get behind the wheel of a golf cart or a similar vehicle. Meaning my experience was little to none. 

I think significantly more experience should be required, like driving with an instructor more. 

I’ve seen more collisions in the high school parking lot than I feel like I should. 

My views on this aren’t just about how old someone should be before driving, but more about the fact that so many people are giving such a big responsibility and abusing it at the risk of others.