Recently Massachusetts has been considering requiring a driving test for people over the age of 85 after a series of terrible accidents involving apparently oblivious elders. If we were going to be realistic, rather than politic, remember older folks vote in higher percentages than any other age group, we would probably require driving tests for anyone over 70.
But, at the same time, 16 and 17 year old kids have more car wrecks percentage-wise than any age group. No one should drive an automobile until they reach the age of 18. Period, end of story. Have you seen some of these 16 year old drivers? Oh my God, as they might say. Some adults, delighted to stop driving them around, will argue that they have a job or a second career in football or something that requires a car.
Well, old people with bad eyesight and no hearing and that damn left blinker on all the time have lives too. That doesn’t mean any of them should drive.
Think of the benefits if we make kids wait until they are 18. High schools won’t need parking lots bigger than the Mall. School buses might actually have some high schoolers on them instead of running around empty every day. Fewer cars will be on the road polluting the air and making the rest of us late for work. More people will use public transportation. More kids will live to maturity, get old and have to stop driving again and use public transportation.
It’s a win, win, win.
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Be kind. I'm so old a snide comment might be the end of me!