Thursday 8 March 2007

Driving Ages

The petition is entitled Make the minimum driving age of 19 and the explanatory notes say
"17 years of age is too young. Lives could be saved because at 17 people are not mature enough to command a vehicle."

Firstly, I don't see why seventeen is too immature to command a vehicle, nor why nineteen should be expected to be so much more mature.

And secondly, I think that this would cost lives, not save them. Learning to drive is a filthy expensive experience; costs are greatly reduced for those fortunate enough to have parents with cars they can practice in. Ultimately, people are better drivers for this practice. Shifting the age up would drastically reduce the number of people who would be able to supplement their learning this way - so many people leave home at 18! - which would benefit no one.

Unjustified rubbish!

(P.S. I have come to realise that there are "themes" to these petitions, above and beyond classifications like "Green Ink Brigade" and so on. So I'm going to start labelling them as such. Gradually I'll go back and edit in these new classifications, too. Hence the new classification: Transport. Lots of petitions are on this theme, after all.)

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