OT: State of licensing in the US, How hard is it where you live? Options

[lapuwali]

Howard's thread about the consequences of not teaching teens how to drive got me wondering.

I went through the whole driver training ritual in 1980, so I have no idea what the current state of driver training is in the US. Texas (where I learned) had a pretty good program. Run in the high school, mandatory, with both driving classes, textbook classes, and an interesting interactive movie.

I'm told that most high schools don't have driver's ed anymore, due to cost-cutting. Is this true nationwide, or only here in California? Is it even true in all of California? I see "Student Driver" cars from time to time (saw one this morning), and I'm sure it's not mandatory. I presume this is strictly a private, voluntary thing?

I also know Europe is much stricter than here. I'm familiar with the UK testing system, how's the system in Germany (Andy?), or Austria (Gustl?), or the Netherlands (Yaroooon?).

Getting anyone to pay for better training in the US is probably politically impossible, though it strikes me that perhaps having the insurance companies help out here by offering a substantial discount from the usual outrageous teen driver rates for those teens who complete an accredited course sounds sensible to me.

[jd74914]

I'm 17 and got my license 5mos after my permit. Permit test was hard, lots of technical alcohol stuff I never knew. I took drivers ed, its optional here, but if you don't take it you have to take a 4hr (IIRC) drug and alcohol class at the DMV.

Drivers ed taught some technical stuff from the books, but the driving part was bogus. It helped the guy that always drove after me, who sucked, but I have known how to drive stick since I was 8 (we have a large free field to drive in), so that part is pretty simple. They did make me drive through Hartford at rush hour, which is about as bad as it gets in CT, and most parts of MA (Boston's just different).

Very few people I know have failed their tests, and some of them can't drive at all. ts kinda scary when they are behind you actually. The other problem I see alot is people driving drunk. Comming home at 1 or 2am you see cars that are doing crazy stuff once in a while (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/dry.gif)

Actually, all of the "good" drivers I know have done like I was taught, and have learned how to drive off road or practiced car control stuff in a big parking lot, or both. I agree with some of the other comments that spinning in a parking lot is a rather humbling experience. I also agree with Tim, if someone pulled the e brake when I was driving I would get control of the car and kill them once I stopped (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/ar15.gif)

Anyways, long winded explanation, hope that answers the question. BTW: I've had my license for 15mos and have not hit anything, gone offroad at all, and have only one been almost hit and that time wasn't my fault (It was in a really dark 4way intersection with lights, I had the green left arrow, some a**hole without lights on ran through a red light and alomst hit me head on (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/WTF.gif) I hit the gas hard once I saw him and he just kept going (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/headbang.gif)