To think 17 is too young to drive

[KimberleyClark]

Three teenage boys (described as mid teens by police have been killed in a crash in the Highlands). I cannot begin to imagine what their parents are going through.

https://news.sky.com/story/three-teenage-boys-killed-in-highlands-car-crash-13421075

My SIL has forbidden my soon to be 17 DN to drive until they are 21. I'm increasingly thinking she is right. She is a paediatrician and not ignorant of teen brain development. AIBU?

It's a tricky one isn't it? Both my DCs learned at 17 and it was really helpful in terms of securing part time jobs etc. I read about potential legislation that young drivers not being allowed to drive with young passengers and that could help in terms of keeping them concentrating and focused. Seeing my newly qualified 17 year old kids driving off on their own was up there with the most nerve wracking experiences I've had as a parent.

Given how difficult it is to get a driving test currently id be surprised if many drivers manage to pass before they are 18.

And in rural areas most people really do need to drive to access employment.

It's not learning to drive at 17 that's the risk - it's young drivers with a car full of other young people that's the problem.

There should be a ban on young drivers having passengers or at least young passengers. For example no under 21 passengers & no driving midnight to 4 am for a year after passing test.

Your SIL can give all the warnings she wants but she can't forbid an adult from doing something perfectly legal if they choose to do so.

I agree. I grew up in a very very rural
place so I understand more than most how important it can be for young people to drive! But so so many terrible accidents happen. It’s so easy to make a silly decision that costs lives.

Well unfortunately for many 17 year olds it's the only way they can get to school/college or work.
There has to be a line somewhere of what age they can start. I have always thought 17 is a bit random.
(one year above school leaving age, one year below adulthood).

Yes. My two teens had a horrible car accident a few weeks ago. Ds has been driving for over a year but is away at uni so isn’t driving every day, only when at home in the holidays. They both could have been killed. No speeding or phone use or messing about, just inexperience.

Ds 18 passed 3 months after turning 17 but drove every day with us for practice and had 2 lessons a week. They issue is they just do not get enough experience. It is ridiculous that you do not get to do motorway practice as a learner for example. Ds needed to drive to get to school and work as we are rural with no bus. It did really worry me but we as parents gave him as much time driving as we could before he took his test.

They should absolutely learn at 17, but it's fine to have a few rules. A friend of mine was a traffic cop and he made his 3 kids wait a while after passing their test before he allowed them to drive at night, or give lifts to friends. They stuck to the rules, because he was paying for their cars, and now all 3 are competent adult drivers.

Sorry but when he is 18 he can do what ever he wants.

I don't think its too young. I grew up in a rural area with no buses, not driving was very limiting (as it happens I didn't learn til I was 19).

I would like there to be more emphasis on protecting yourself as a passenger. Not just 'don't drink and drive' but also 'don't get in a car unless you're certain the driver is sober'.

And I often suspect rear passengers who are killed were not wearing seat belts.

Your SIL is ridiculous. She can obviously refuse to pay for lessons/car/insurance. But she cannot possibly think she can ban her child from driving until 21.

Given the area driving is pretty essential for working or any kind of social life.

At 20 my DD was doing uni placements in a school that required her to drive to it - are you suggesting people shouldn't get jobs or do placements until 21?

With the state, and cost, of public transport then that's essentially what you'd be saying because many people, especially in rural areas like where the crash happened, wouldn't be able to work without driving.

I wouldn’t change driving age because 17/18 is a good time to learn before they want to apply for jobs or go to university.
I would put restrictions on carrying passengers though like they can only carry passengers if one of them is over 21.
Also bring in tougher penalties for 17-21 year old drivers like instant suspension of license if caught driving dangerously.
I know that would create difficulties for some families but I think it would be worth it overall.

Are you a driver and if so, what age did you learn?

I passed my test at 17 and managed not to kill myself or others; or even have a crash. This was at a time when drunk driving was illegal, but still tolerated to a degree. When cars had fewer safety features and when pedestrians and cyclists didn’t wear hi viz.

17 year olds can be safe drivers, just like 30 year olds can be unsafe drivers.

I do think that there would be merit in a campaign of reminding people - of all ages - of the dangers in driving.

Because of the safety progression in cars people are complacent.

And there should be less pushing and cajoling of people to keep learning and try and pass their test if they are not capable drivers. It's a skill. Not everyone is capable of it and there should be more people saying "actually Marc, your spatial awareness is shit, maybe you shouldn't take your test for a 8th time".

Yes I'm a driver. Started learning at 23, passed my test at 26. Never had an accident in nearly 40 years of driving.

And car safety features are a bit of a red herring. A car is only ever as safe as its driver. Studies show that all these safety features can actually make drivers feel impregnable in their cars.

Seems unnecessarily restrictive.

At 18 I worked in a bar and drove home from work at gone midnight, dropping a friend who didn't drive home on my way. Should we have walked?

What about young drivers who ferry their younger siblings to activities or even who are young parents?

Not everyone lives in towns or cities with good public transport. My sons passed just after their 17 birthday. We live fairly rural with 1 bus per hour and there’s no buses in or out after 8pm so driving is a necessity.

You’re SIL can refuse to buy her son a car etc, but there’s nothing she can do to stop an adult doing something that’s legal and tbh comes across as quite controlling and could impact on his employment opportunities.

It’s like anything though. Some 17 year olds pass their test and are sensible drivers, others are less so and are egged on by friends to speed etc.
I passed at 17 and had no problems. My friend drove 4 of us to a theme park (2 hours away on motorway) when we were all 17 and she hadn’t long passed. She drove sensibly.

I don't think it is the age of new drivers but their newness.

I knew someone who when she passed her test her dad bought her a car, something like a Volvo, a big car. His reasoning was that she would probably have an accident and a bigger car gives you more protection.

I think there are things that can be done to lessen the risks to new drivers.

I have a motorbike licence, there are restrictions on the type of bike you can ride depending on your age.

For a moped you have to be 16.
For a 125cc you have to be 17
For a 245 it is 19 and to get an unrestricted licence you have to be 21 and go through the other catagories or 24.

Maybe we should look at something similar for car licences?

As for not having motorway experience, there is nothing to stop a new driver taking a lesson on a motorway after their test.

Public transport where we are, despite being town centre, is appalling. Learning to drive at 17 means they have a lot more disposable time to learn rather than fitting it around a full time job. There will still be some rules on ours - black box, no car full of friends and no high powered car either.

And if they don’t have motorway lessons with their instructor before they take / pass test, we will be paying for a few more motorway based lessons first.

I was just over 17 when I passed my test. 3: years later I’ve been in three very minor bumps. I’ve been t-boned/rear-ended three times.

Maybe it’s just luck.

I do think that college age is particularly lethal.

They are not old enough to drink and go to pubs and so the cars become the socialising.

Nor are they mature enough for the peer pressure/showing off. By the time they get to university or jobs it may only be a small difference in age but they tend to grow up fast.

I can see both sides of the argument and think the best compromise is the restrictions on passengers and driving hours.