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Teen driving laws hurt low-income families
Freesia Singngam
Issue date: 9/3/08 Section: Commentary
After a series of tragic deaths involving teen drivers over the past few years, the state passed stricter laws making it more difficult for 16- and 17-year-olds to obtain a driver's license.
The new laws, which went into effect Aug. 1, were the most comprehensive overhaul of teen driving laws in 35 years, according to a press release from the Department of Motor Vehicles. The last major reform in teen driving laws was passed in the 1970s, when on-the-road training was added as a requirement for drivers' education.
While the new laws admirably put an emphasis on safety, the added hours of on-the-road training and class time for both students and their parents make it nearly impossible for some teens to drive.
Before the laws were passed, teens had to complete 20 hours of on-the-road training before obtaining a license. The number of hours is now doubled to 40 hours of training, and new permit holders must complete eight hours of a safe driver course. Parents or legal guardians must also complete a two-hour class with the permit holder on teen driving laws.
Drivers' education is expensive. In the 1970s and 1980s, drivers' education was often offered at public high schools. Now, because of budget cuts, those classes are no longer available in many cities, and teens must seek outside driving schools for drivers' education. In cities where there are drivers' education classes in the high schools, students may still have to pay a certain amount of money to take the classes.
The Academy of Driving, which has several locations around Connecticut, charges $535 at its Manchester location for a teen driving course and handbook, according to its Web site. For an off-site driving exam, it costs $125. With the added on-the-road training hours, the cost of drivers' education everywhere will only go up.
Many teens need to get jobs when they turn 16 and are eligible to work because they need to help supplement their family income or just need extra money for themselves. They need a way to get to work, and driving is a traditional way to do it. They might not be able to afford drivers' education now that there are added training hours, and this may prevent them from getting a job, adding to a frustrating cycle that doesn't bring in any monetary income.
The new laws, which went into effect Aug. 1, were the most comprehensive overhaul of teen driving laws in 35 years, according to a press release from the Department of Motor Vehicles. The last major reform in teen driving laws was passed in the 1970s, when on-the-road training was added as a requirement for drivers' education.
While the new laws admirably put an emphasis on safety, the added hours of on-the-road training and class time for both students and their parents make it nearly impossible for some teens to drive.
Before the laws were passed, teens had to complete 20 hours of on-the-road training before obtaining a license. The number of hours is now doubled to 40 hours of training, and new permit holders must complete eight hours of a safe driver course. Parents or legal guardians must also complete a two-hour class with the permit holder on teen driving laws.
Drivers' education is expensive. In the 1970s and 1980s, drivers' education was often offered at public high schools. Now, because of budget cuts, those classes are no longer available in many cities, and teens must seek outside driving schools for drivers' education. In cities where there are drivers' education classes in the high schools, students may still have to pay a certain amount of money to take the classes.
The Academy of Driving, which has several locations around Connecticut, charges $535 at its Manchester location for a teen driving course and handbook, according to its Web site. For an off-site driving exam, it costs $125. With the added on-the-road training hours, the cost of drivers' education everywhere will only go up.
Many teens need to get jobs when they turn 16 and are eligible to work because they need to help supplement their family income or just need extra money for themselves. They need a way to get to work, and driving is a traditional way to do it. They might not be able to afford drivers' education now that there are added training hours, and this may prevent them from getting a job, adding to a frustrating cycle that doesn't bring in any monetary income.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
Carol
posted 9/03/08 @ 6:08 PM EST
Yes, it's true that $535+ may be prohibitively expensive for some low-income families. But the requirement to have more hours of training and practice before achieving your first driver's license is not a punishment, it's a necessity! I think that the problem is with privatizing driver's education from the public schools to the commercial, for-profit driving schools where profit, not safety, is the main motive. (Continued…)
TB
posted 9/03/08 @ 8:30 PM EST
Can't afford all that comes with a license? Get off your lazy ass and WALK, ride a bike, or use public transportation. People wonder why this generation has so much obesity. (Continued…)
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