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?

How are people passing a driving test one or two months after turning 17? That's incredible.

I still think new drivers need motorway experience. Even if they have to go and stay away on a course for a week or so to do this if they live in the middle of nowhere.

It really does depend on where you live too, in London or other cities it’s fine to not fund lessons but here in semi rural areas you can’t work in many jobs until you pass your test, in fact many youngsters get basic motorbikes at 16 just to get to college (it’s 25 minutes by car/bike but 1 hour 50 minutes by public transport, my work is exactly the same, I drive)

On private land I believe there's no age restriction on driving. Some parents (particularly rural ones) start teaching their children as soon as they are tall enough.
As soon as they reach 17 they get the test and just make it legal.

Nope im pushing mine to pass as soon as they turn 17. However I wont be buying them a car, they will be borrowing mine until they can afford their own. Rules also of only 1 passanger

I disagree. I learned in Auckland and I had to do a big round about with 3 or 4 lanes and one junction of the motorway. DH is from a very rural place and they have to do country lanes. I found country lanes much harder to drive still. I am confident driving overseas motorways and have done many overseas city driving. But I freak every time I am stuck in a one lane road, having to drive in reverse to the nearest passing bay. The worst are the ones on cliff edges and around bending roads. You have them in the UK too. I was send to one of them by the sat nav in Cornwall.

I do agree that country lanes can be harder than motorways. But it seems bizarre that young people can pass a driving test with zero experience of driving on a motorway.

I just want them all to be as safe as possible. Something does need to be done about all these accidents with teenage boys in the car.

My son passed his test when he was 17 and honestly I worried sick about him everytime he was out but he is a really good driver and he has a black box so had to drive sensibly but if he didn’t drive he wouldn’t have been able to start his apprenticeship as he would never have been able to get public transport to the sites he worked on for 7.30am.

The cost of that would be astronomical. If paid for by individual learners, it would disadvantage those in rural locations which generally have lower wages.

That in itself is a problem then. Passing the test on the young side of 17. Lack of experience on public roads.

As others have said it was a necessity for mine to pass at 17 as live in rural Scotland .
There was a fatal crash where 3 teens lost their lives . It certainly made the youngsters at school extremely aware of their driving .

My son learned to drive at 17, by 18 he was two years into an apprenticeship and was expected to work solo and was provided with a work van (electrician)
Puttng the age limit up for driving would put so many people like my son out of work/training.
I also don’t see how your sister in law can ban her daughter from driving, if she earns her own money and can pay for it how is she going to enforce it?

The is s modern problem
I would have been told to get my ass out of bed 1hr50 earlier.
I started uni at 16 (so no car)and had to leave 7.30 for 9am start.
Plenty of classmates travelled longer than me.

I don't think the age should be increased, (I too grew up rurally with no public transport,) but I do see an argument for probationary licences, with restrictions on passengers etc.

I see the argument for motorway lessons, but as has been pointed out, not everywhere is close to a motorway. Motorways are actually one of the safest road types to drive on (and i say that having earlier today, driven on one in torrential rain where not everyone thought to put their lights on, and they could barely be seen in all the spray,) but it can take while to to adjust to the speed.

I can also see an argument for rural lessons, particularly of the type of high-banked narrow winding lanes like you get in the south west. If you can't reverse back into a passing place, you are not a competent driver. But plenty of drivers don't live near roads of that sort, either. I have been quite annoyed by drivers in pristine 4x4s on narrow roads who won't pull over at all, despite being in a car more suited to off-road driving than my little Corsa.

I'm really sorry to hear this, it must be horrible for you.

No speeding or phone use or messing about, just inexperience.

However, an 'inexperienced driver' would be just as inexperienced at 22 had they not been allowed to start driving until they were 21, as an 18 yr old would be had they started at 17, or indeed a 31 yr old having started at 30.

Well I expect the second they turn 17 they get them straight out on public roads.
(I'm not saying this is necessarily a good way to learn to drive btw)

My 17yo dd saved her money from a summer job, booked and paid for her own driving lessons. I couldn’t exactly stop her 🤷‍♀️ your sil can’t stop her ds either although she can refuse to pay for them.

My DS was driving(illegally) at 13.Unknown to us.As soon as his legs were long enough to operate the foot controls.Taught by an older boy using his car..The police would sometimes catch him as they could not to see his head above the steering wheel.
By the Grace of God he has never caused an accident or serious injury.Been caught speeding twice.His driving test was just a matter of course.Took it at 17 and passed first time.I was relieved he was now a legal driver.
He is now in his early 50s so driving for 40 years.His grown up children all drive but, unlike their father, waited till they were of legal age.
It depends on the individual.His advice is never take your eyes off the road.

My DN is not that bothered about learning yet, he cycles to school every day (mostly on cycle trails). His school has a sixth form so he won’t need to be able to drive to do his A levels. He lives in the middle of a city and is proficient at train travel, has a young person’s railcard.

So, because your DN has alternatives, and little incentive to drive currently, you think nobody should be able to drive at 17 ?

I had my first driving lesson on my 17th bday, followed by passing my test a couple of months later. I was driving myself to work the next day.

I wasn't too young, managed to avoid barrell rolling my car through the hedge and never run over Bert or Betty either.

My kids grew up in the US, Deep South actually. Public transport was/is non existent, suggesting they couldn’t get behind a wheel until they’re 26 is laughable. But if it helps, I know hundreds and hundreds of kids who got their own cars at 16 and are still amongst us 👍🏻

I live in a rural area not in the UK. Our teens start learning to drive at 14. They have to spend a year practicing and then at 15 they start driving to school and work. At 16 they get additional privileges and at 17 they get full licenses.

not only is this necessary because of our geography, I like this system. It allows parents to have a long period of oversight with new drivers. We can watch for poor behavior and take away driving privileges for lesser infractions than officials.

I can’t imagine not even letting them start learning until 17. Parents have so little control by that age.

I know someone who got driving lessons at 17 and was pushed to pass as soon as possible so he could help with the family business.

the states where you can get a permit at 14 are very rural (like the Dakotas). Many of the kids already know how to drive tractors. Also it’s the prairies and they’re flat as pancakes.

17 is fine in my opinion but there should be a North American style graduated licensing system. Canada does it as well.

Myself and ex dp have decided that it is too young for our 17 year old. He is very sensible for a 17 year old but we feel it’s just too young and he will start around 18.5