4 ms·

In the land of the free, you can drive with a parent at 15 and get a license at 16 with zero required classes or real world driving test, with just your parent’

by lukevp 4y ago

In the land of the free, you can drive with a parent at 15 and get a license at 16 with zero required classes or real world driving test, with just your parent’s signature, a 70% pass rate on a written test and $25. That’s how I got my license in TX at least. I think this is a bad thing, fwiw. The standards of driver safety training here are incredibly low.

jasonwatkinspdx 4y ago
It varies by state, but most of them require either a driving exam or a piece of paper from a drivers education class. Texas is something of an exception in it's general lassie faire posture.
- jcadam 4y ago
  When I moved to Alaska, in my early 40s, with a license in-hand from the state I had just moved from, they made me take a written test before issuing me an AK license. At least they didn't make me take a road test. Weirdos.
- Dalewyn 4y ago
  Naw, it's not the exception. Got my license in California, instructor skipped the freeway part of the drive test which is mandatory. Moved to Oregon, new licensees require both a written and a drive test but the DMV skipped them both because I already had an out-of-state (California) license. Driver licenses are literally stupid easy to get here in the US.
  - jasonwatkinspdx 4y ago
    I'm in Oregon as well and my understanding is if you have an existing valid license you can skip, but that's different if you've never had one or yours is expired. I had to do a driving test in my mid 20s because I lived car free downtown for a number of years and when my license expired just got an id card as replacement out of laziness.
    - Dalewyn 4y ago
      The handbook did say the driving test could be optional for out-of-state licensees, but it was clear that the written test was mandatory. The DMV lady who handled my application skipped them both anyway. ┐(￣ー￣)┌
  - davchana 4y ago
    In California Highway driving for cars is required for special drives only i.e. can't read charts, or tickets.
    - Dalewyn 4y ago
      You would be wrong, the handbook (and presumably the law it derives from) states (or at least stated when I took the test) freeway driving is a mandatory part of the driving test. I asked the instructor why we skipped it, and they said it was because the freeway portion "is too dangerous for the instructors". I had a good chuckle that day.
      - davchana 4y ago
        Easy to say one is wrong. I would not argue, but the fact is fact. For car, as long as your vision in 20/40 in each eye, & 20/70 in both, at least, no physical disabilities for car controls, no seizure or medical issues, no law enforcement referrals, you don't need to do freeway drive. Any Yes to any of the above things will warrant a Special Driving Performance Evaluation, and that most probably includes freeway 99% of the time (assuming there's a freeway access), plus some other things. And for the record, no, no part of the driving test is dangerous for the examiner any more than for anybody sitting as a passenger. Routes are carefully designed to cover as much & as little as law requires, conditions allow, and much more. https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/handbook/driving-test-criteria/dmv-driving-test/ https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/handbook/driving-test-criteria...
  - dfinninger 3y ago
    Yeah, Oregon allows you to skip the tests if you have another valid US license. I got a surprise in CA when I went to the DMV (waited four hours) and then was surprised with a written test. I guess it makes sense.
- Spooky23 4y ago
  Driving is pretty easy. I was operating heavy farm equipment at 11, and I’m not some sort of mechanical savant. The maturity to make responsible choices is hard for younger kids. It’s probably smart to set limits to licenses to discourage bad behavior, but be real, some driver testing guy isn’t helping.
- WillPostForFood 4y ago
  Texas requires drivers ed and drivers training, like most states, as well as a written exam and a driving test to get a license.
- Cyberdogs7 4y ago
  Funny enough, after moving back to Texas from out of the country in which my Texas drivers license expired by 6 months, I was required to take both a written AND a practical driving test. Keep in mind I was nearly 40 years old and had a valid Texas license since I was 16.
  - seanmcdirmid 4y ago
    I was out of country for 9 years, and when I moved to California from China, they didn’t make me take the driving test since I had a California license before (7 years out date), but I was surprised.
    - davchana 4y ago
      Yes, once you get California Licence, the only time you would drive test again is if you upgrade, can't read charts, health issues, law enforcement reports.
  - davchana 4y ago
    Same thing for anybody moving to US (or California at least). No matter what foreign country license you have, if you are moving to California permanently, (not tourist), you need to get a California Licence & foreign license will not give you any discount in process.
WillPostForFood 4y ago
There is both a driver's training requirement, and a driving test required. The only "Texas" angle, is that parents are allowed to teach the driver's training portion (44 hours of total behind the wheel instruction). You can cheat that, but if you follow the guidelines it is pretty typical level of instruction for most states.
aaomidi 4y ago
We NEED to drive in the US. You can’t make it strict or else we’d kick millions out of the economy.
midoridensha 4y ago
It's like that in America because it has to be. If you required real driving skill from American drivers just to get a license, most of them would fail. It works in some other countries because people there are able to live without a car, and having a car is a luxury. In America, it's a requirement for basic survival in most places because America decided decades ago that it wanted things to be that way, and built everything with that basic assumption. You can't expect good competency in something like driving from 99% of the public; you're just not going to get it, no matter what it is.
davchana 4y ago
Age wise you are correct, and in California you still need a driving test (although not a super strict one).
Someone 4y ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Driver%27s_licenses_in_the_United_States#Licenses_for_adults_and_minors;_GDL_laws https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Driver%27s_licenses_in_the_Uni... says you can get a learner’s permit at 14 years old that doesn’t appear to have restrictions in Alaska, Arkansas, and one with restrictions (e.g. only daytime driving, limited # of passengers, only driving to school) in Iowa, Kansas, North Dakota, and South Dakota. It seems there’s a strong correlation between population density and minimum age one can get a driver’s license.
- ithkuil 4y ago
  In Mars, a planet entirely populated by robots, the minimum age for a driver's license is 0

by lukevp 4y ago

jasonwatkinspdx 4y ago

It varies by state, but most of them require either a driving exam or a piece of paper from a drivers education class. Texas is something of an exception in it's general lassie faire posture.

jcadam 4y ago
When I moved to Alaska, in my early 40s, with a license in-hand from the state I had just moved from, they made me take a written test before issuing me an AK license. At least they didn't make me take a road test. Weirdos.
Dalewyn 4y ago
Naw, it's not the exception. Got my license in California, instructor skipped the freeway part of the drive test which is mandatory. Moved to Oregon, new licensees require both a written and a drive test but the DMV skipped them both because I already had an out-of-state (California) license. Driver licenses are literally stupid easy to get here in the US.
- jasonwatkinspdx 4y ago
  I'm in Oregon as well and my understanding is if you have an existing valid license you can skip, but that's different if you've never had one or yours is expired. I had to do a driving test in my mid 20s because I lived car free downtown for a number of years and when my license expired just got an id card as replacement out of laziness.
  - Dalewyn 4y ago
    The handbook did say the driving test could be optional for out-of-state licensees, but it was clear that the written test was mandatory. The DMV lady who handled my application skipped them both anyway. ┐(￣ー￣)┌
- davchana 4y ago
  In California Highway driving for cars is required for special drives only i.e. can't read charts, or tickets.
  - Dalewyn 4y ago
    You would be wrong, the handbook (and presumably the law it derives from) states (or at least stated when I took the test) freeway driving is a mandatory part of the driving test. I asked the instructor why we skipped it, and they said it was because the freeway portion "is too dangerous for the instructors". I had a good chuckle that day.
    - davchana 4y ago
      Easy to say one is wrong. I would not argue, but the fact is fact. For car, as long as your vision in 20/40 in each eye, & 20/70 in both, at least, no physical disabilities for car controls, no seizure or medical issues, no law enforcement referrals, you don't need to do freeway drive. Any Yes to any of the above things will warrant a Special Driving Performance Evaluation, and that most probably includes freeway 99% of the time (assuming there's a freeway access), plus some other things. And for the record, no, no part of the driving test is dangerous for the examiner any more than for anybody sitting as a passenger. Routes are carefully designed to cover as much & as little as law requires, conditions allow, and much more. https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/handbook/driving-test-criteria/dmv-driving-test/ https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/handbook/driving-test-criteria...
- dfinninger 3y ago
  Yeah, Oregon allows you to skip the tests if you have another valid US license. I got a surprise in CA when I went to the DMV (waited four hours) and then was surprised with a written test. I guess it makes sense.
Spooky23 4y ago
Driving is pretty easy. I was operating heavy farm equipment at 11, and I’m not some sort of mechanical savant. The maturity to make responsible choices is hard for younger kids. It’s probably smart to set limits to licenses to discourage bad behavior, but be real, some driver testing guy isn’t helping.
WillPostForFood 4y ago
Texas requires drivers ed and drivers training, like most states, as well as a written exam and a driving test to get a license.
Cyberdogs7 4y ago
Funny enough, after moving back to Texas from out of the country in which my Texas drivers license expired by 6 months, I was required to take both a written AND a practical driving test. Keep in mind I was nearly 40 years old and had a valid Texas license since I was 16.
- seanmcdirmid 4y ago
  I was out of country for 9 years, and when I moved to California from China, they didn’t make me take the driving test since I had a California license before (7 years out date), but I was surprised.
  - davchana 4y ago
    Yes, once you get California Licence, the only time you would drive test again is if you upgrade, can't read charts, health issues, law enforcement reports.
- davchana 4y ago
  Same thing for anybody moving to US (or California at least). No matter what foreign country license you have, if you are moving to California permanently, (not tourist), you need to get a California Licence & foreign license will not give you any discount in process.

WillPostForFood 4y ago

There is both a driver's training requirement, and a driving test required. The only "Texas" angle, is that parents are allowed to teach the driver's training portion (44 hours of total behind the wheel instruction). You can cheat that, but if you follow the guidelines it is pretty typical level of instruction for most states.

aaomidi 4y ago

We NEED to drive in the US. You can’t make it strict or else we’d kick millions out of the economy.

midoridensha 4y ago

It's like that in America because it has to be. If you required real driving skill from American drivers just to get a license, most of them would fail. It works in some other countries because people there are able to live without a car, and having a car is a luxury. In America, it's a requirement for basic survival in most places because America decided decades ago that it wanted things to be that way, and built everything with that basic assumption. You can't expect good competency in something like driving from 99% of the public; you're just not going to get it, no matter what it is.

davchana 4y ago

Age wise you are correct, and in California you still need a driving test (although not a super strict one).

Someone 4y ago

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Driver%27s_licenses_in_the_United_States#Licenses_for_adults_and_minors;_GDL_laws https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Driver%27s_licenses_in_the_Uni... says you can get a learner’s permit at 14 years old that doesn’t appear to have restrictions in Alaska, Arkansas, and one with restrictions (e.g. only daytime driving, limited # of passengers, only driving to school) in Iowa, Kansas, North Dakota, and South Dakota. It seems there’s a strong correlation between population density and minimum age one can get a driver’s license.

ithkuil 4y ago
In Mars, a planet entirely populated by robots, the minimum age for a driver's license is 0