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Published: Thursday, September 20, 2007 - 7:14pm
On July 14, 2007, at precisely 11:04 p.m., I became 15 years old. And, in Illinois, that meant I was able to take a simple test and receive my driving instruction permit.
Even though my birthday was on a Saturday during the summer, I woke up early to beat the crowds at the DMV in Champaign. I had already taken the required two driver's ed classes at Kenney Gym. I had my birth certificate and a bank statement as proof of residence. And after about 20 minutes, I had my very own permit.
And hopefully I’ll have my license by mid-July next year. But lately I’ve been somewhat discouraged. Many laws regarding teen drivers are changing, according to Secretary of State Jesse White’s Web site. For example, drivers who are 15 will have to have their permits for nine months before obtaining a license rather than just six months.
The Web site also says, “For the first year of licensing, or until the driver is age 18, whichever occurs first, the number of passengers is limited to one person under age 20, unless the additional passenger(s) is a sibling, step-sibling, child, or step-child of the driver.” Before, this law was only enforced for the first six months of licensing.
Of course, I understand the reasoning for these laws. Authorities are trying to keep us safe. But the rules are still really restrictive.
Fortunately, the first law won’t affect me, because I will have had my permit for a year when I turn 16. But I can understand that it would be aggravating if all of your friends could drive and you couldn’t because you happened to take driver's ed a little later.
However, I think it will be really difficult to wait a whole year before I can drive more than one friend. Many of my friends are a year younger than me because they skipped a grade when they came to Uni. It would be convenient for their parents and my parents if I could just pick up my friends when we wanted to hang out. With this new law, I won’t be able to do that.
But I suppose I’ll live through it. Anyway, it’s worth it to get that feeling of excitement when I parallel park correctly or speed up to 65 on the highway.
Comments
Trust me-going 65 gets old
Trust me-going 65 gets old fast. If you're on a long trip, it's gonna be boring no matter how fast you end up going.
Saftey
The state of Illinois is always trying to be safer and the majority of car accidents and fatalities happen to teens. I understand how it would be convenient to drive friends, but you will be driving for the rest of your life. And you have lived without driving for 15 years, it shouldn't be too hard to wait one more.
You'll hate driving...
1) When you have to be someone's taxi service.
2) When you have to start paying for gas.
3) When you look at your car insurance bill.
4) When you have to drive for 10 hours straight.
5) When you realize how bad cars are for the environment.
6) When you have to drive into the sun for a long time.
7) When you have to drive in pouring rain or in a snow storm.
8) When you get a flat tire in the middle of no where.
9) When you try to find a parking spot on campus, and then when you do, when you pay for that parking spot.
10) When your car breaks down.
well
It seems like most of those statements refer more to cars than the actual driving experience.
Thats not the point...
Thanks, Issac for that wonderful comment. However, you pretty much missed the point of the article, making me wonder how well you read it.
Fortunately, a simple pair
Fortunately, a simple pair of sunglasses or the most basic knowledge of car mechanics can take care of a lot of those.
from experience...
i can tell you from experience that knowing how to drive really well (especially how to handle certain road conditions like loose gravel...) before you start driving by yourself is really important.
and sometimes driving friends is not that great, especially when they all want to go somewhere different, and they decide they want to be as loud and annoying as possible.
or, if you're like me and have 2 younger siblings who you now have to chauffeur everywhere.
passengers can be extremely distracting, so it's good to learn how to drive really well, because you know you'll want to join in on conversations going on in the backseat, and that's dangerous when you're an inexperienced driver.
just remember that the lawmakers are trying to keep you alive.
Good Jorb
Awesome job Anna!
Thanks, but...
While I appreciate all of your input, I would like to remind you that these are my opinions. I'm completely open to discussing your opinions, and constructive criticism is great, but can we try to keep the comments positive? (I know that not all of you are being negative, and thank you for that.)
I completely understand that these laws took time to create, and were obviously well though-out. Maybe I didn't stress enough that I know that these laws are important. I'm not denying that teens can be particularly unsafe drivers! My main point is that it will be irritating not to be able to drive my friends, not that I absolutely won't be able to stand it. I'm not trying to change the law, I just think that it's frustrating.
Again, thanks for the positive comments.
-Anna
I understand completely
Of course we all know that these new laws are for our saftey, but I completely understand where you are coming from when you say that you wish you could drive now. Even if you are ready to get your license, it is only age that gets in the way. It would be so much better if you could drive people around. It would take a lot of stress from your parents and from your life (like when you pull out your hair to figure out how to get somewhere). Anyway, just saying that I agree
Oh, those first driving experiences...
Back in the day, in Louisiana, you only had to be 15 to get a full license. I'm pretty sure we were out for winter break on my 15th birthday, but my mother had to work, so it was actually on my SECOND day as a 15-year-old that I got my license. Of course, back then cars wouldn't go more than 15 mph, and all the roads were dirt, and...
I know where Anna's coming from. I thought I'd NEVER turn 15. It was GREAT not having to wait for a parent to drive me to homecoming dance, or across town to the city honor band rehearsal, or whatever. Just in the "few short" years since I got my license, though, the roads have become more congested, and drivers face ever more distractions--and having a rowdy bunch of your best friends, acting all crazy in the car, can be VERY distracting. Of course that's hyperbole, but I really believe the law has a basis in wisdom.
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