As 15 and 16-year- olds go through the process of getting their license, they might notice it is a little more complicated than expected. You have to first get your learner’s permit, 15 is the earliest age you can get it. You have to take a test that asks extremely specific questions that are a bit redundant at times. Then you have two options from this point. You can either go the Driver’s Education route or opt out. Taking Driver’s Education saves you some time but it’s a whopping 450 to 475 dollars depending on the school you do it through.
The main thing that bothers me about the whole system is that you have to be 16 and 90 days to get your license. What is the 90 days doing? By the time you turn 16, you are so excited to get your license but then reality sets in. Those 90 days turn into the longest 90 days of your life.
These 90 days were especially bad for me and my circumstances. My birthday is right on the cusp that decides whether I am a sophomore or a junior. That means I am one of the last juniors to get their license. It is a humbling experience to be constantly be in need of a ride everywhere. It makes you feel like a burden to everyone around you who does have their license. I wanted was to have the feeling of independence that I have longed for all my life. I wanted to have the security of knowing that I would never have to ask for a ride again. I wanted to be able to drive my friends who didn’t have rides because I know exactly how it feels to be in that situation.
As if age doesn’t discourage people from getting their license, the long and expensive steps it takes does. There is no reason that 30 hours of Driver’s Education should be necessary. I fully understand that there should be some sort of program to inform driver’s ed students basic driving protocols and safety, but 30 hours is just overkill. I personally lost engagement and motivation to finish the course.
At the end of the day, it’s not that big of a deal, but it would be nice to make the process of getting a driver’s license more straightforward than how it is currently.
