When did you get your driving license?

[GenMarshall]

Connecticut. Remember that I'm 20 years older than you are. It was different then.

Somehow I have a feeling I am going to have to tell my younger cousins (and future children) that. Given the laws would be much stricter when they come to the legal age of testing for a drivers licence.

 

[Arakhor]

I'll provide the obligatory "I don't have a driving licence and I've had 15 years to get one" post. I've had excellent bus service for over 20 years, so I've never needed a car, plus I don't have anywhere to put one anyway.

 

[LucyDuke]

Holy crap that's a lot of questions.

Pfft, that's nothing.

http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=264071

 

[mythmonster2]

If all goes well, I will be getting my driver's license before my next birthday (So, 16 for me)!

 

[Atlas14]

I was 19 when I got my license, after failing the driving portion of the test 2 or 3 times.

 

[madviking]

Two days after turning sixteen and a half (the age for a license in Virginia).

 

[Japanrocks12]

Owen and I are in the cool kids club, which is of course 17 and USA #1

 

[Zelig]

So, when did you get your driver's license? Why did you get it when you did? How difficult would it be to live without one where you live? Would you have gotten it earlier if possible? Do you think people should be able to get one at the age you did? Did you get a car when you got your license? Do you have a car now? Are you a good driver? Should we take licenses away from old people? POLL COMING!

I got my drivers license a few months after my 16th birthday.

I got it because I lived in the middle of nowhere and my parents didn't like having to drive me around.

Would have been pretty easy, I just wouldn't have been able to go anywhere without my parents driving me. Where I live now, it would also be pretty easy, just a hassle for groceries and big things. I drove to work when I lived with my parents. Every job I've had since then, I've simply moved to live within walking/cycling distance of work.

My parents gave me their junker cars when I got my license, I sold them for $500 combined.

I pay $30/month for a carshare program with 3 other people.

I think I'm a good driver, I've had no accidents or tickets in 7 years of driving, passed my written and driving tests flawlessly on my first try.

I think we should take licenses away from a lot of people, I think full retesting every 5 years, for everyone, is appropriate.

 

[JollyRoger]

Got mine on the first business day after my 16th birthday. The DPS guy tried to flunk me but missed by 2 points.

 

[ZeletDude]

I have my learners permit, I got it when I was 15 (though you can get it at 14 and a half in Idaho). I've yet to get my Driver's License yet though, I've been elgiable to get one since January but my laziness and the need to fix a mirror on my mom's car has prevented me from taking the test. If all goes well though I'll be getting it sometime this summer..

 

[Quintillus]

So, when did you get your driver's license?

When I was twenty. I could have gotten it as young as 16 years and zero days. Instead I waited, passed on the first try, and saved a bunch of money by not having to take drivers' training (instead being instructed by my parents, one of whom was formerly a professional driver, but not on closed courses).

Why did you get it when you did?

I didn't get one in high school because I didn't see a need to. Between my friends and my parents, I could almost always get to where I wanted to go. I got it partway through college because of peer pressure to learn to drive, as well as thinking that it probably would be good to know how to drive upon graduation so I wouldn't have to learn how to drive while starting a new job and commuting to work every day.

How difficult would it be to live without one where you live?

Where I live right now (in Ohio), it's very difficult to live without one. There are busses downtown, but there's only one or two in the morning and another one or two in the evening. You'd have to have a job with a consistent schedule. And there's no busses to decent sized grocery stores or anything like that - only a local gas station store is within walking distance, so it wouldn't be easy. You could bike to a larger store, I suppose, but the biking paths around here are pretty abysmal, too.

Where I was a month ago (in Sweden), it was no problem not having a car.

Would you have gotten it earlier if possible?

Retrospectively, it would have been very nice to have a car at the college I went to. So, if I had known where I was going to college in advance and known more about the college, I may have gotten my license at 17 or so.

Do you think people should be able to get one at the age you did?

I don't see any reason why not.

Did you get a car when you got your license?

Nope, I drove my parents' cars and occasionally one of my friend's cars.

Do you have a car now?

Nope, but I plan to get one within the month.

Are you a good driver?

I'm probably below average, due to inexperience. I'd say I'm a fairly safe driver, as I don't drive particularly fast or take many risks, but most people my age (in the U.S. anyway) have a lot more experience than I do. On the other hand, I do still have a perfect driving record, so I must not be too horrible.

Should we take licenses away from old people?

Not as a general blanket-type thing, like it you turn 82 you lose your license. However, I would not be opposed to more rigorous testing requirements. It is true that old people are more likely to be at fault in an accident than middle-aged people (not sure if they're more likely than young people or not...), and I have seen the occasional old person doing a steady 42 on a 65-mph highway, a definitely unsafe speed. But on the other hand, I know old people who are perfectly good drivers despite being nearly 90 years old, and who need to be able to drive to continue to live independently. As long as they could show that they were competent in a road test, it's stupid to take away their licenses.

 

[sophie]

Owen and I are in the cool kids club, which is of course 17 and USA #1

Yee! Cali boys know wassap!

 

[azzaman333]

So, when did you get your driver's license?

Haven't.

Why did you get it when you did?

Never had the motivation to actually learn to drive up until 6-12 months ago, and haven't done much practicing since then anyway.

How difficult would it be to live without one where you live?

It'd be easier if I had my license and a car, but public transport is mostly adequate.

Would you have gotten it earlier if possible?

In hindsight, I should've started learning to drive when I could at 16, so I could get my license when I was 18, but that whole period of my life was a complete screw up.

 

[IglooDame]

So, when did you get your driver's license?
Late 16 or early 17 - senior year in high school.

Why did you get it when you did?
Like SuperJay and Cutlass, in the 80s it was "as early as possible" by default.

How difficult would it be to live without one where you live?
There's no public transportation to speak of here, and I have a 10+ mile daily commute.

Would you have gotten it earlier if possible?
Probably not - parents' insurance rates was a factor as it was.

Do you think people should be able to get one at the age you did?
I would be okay with 18 being the minimum age.

Did you get a car when you got your license?
No, I would have had to put it into storage for my first three years at USNA anyway.

Do you have a car now?
You betcha.

Are you a good driver?
Accident-free after over two decades of expeditiously driving lots of miles in all kinds of stuff. I'm a great driver.

Should we take licenses away from old people?
If they can't pass the driving tests (which should be an every-several-year requirement for everyone), yes.

 

[Grisu]

So, when did you get your driver's license?
1996, I was 19 at the time

Why did you get it when you did?
more or less just because I wanted it...I didn't really need it until a few years later, but it was useful

How difficult would it be to live without one where you live?
last time I had to show it was about 6 years ago...so not too hard, I guess.

Would you have gotten it earlier if possible?
I failed the first time I took the practical exam, so yes

Do you think people should be able to get one at the age you did?
yes

Did you get a car when you got your license?
no, I bought my first car 2 years later

Do you have a car now?
yes

Are you a good driver?
of course actually I do think I'm a fairly good driver, as I've had only one minor accident (and that wasn't my fault). It's not because I'm super at handling the car but more because I drive cautiously which counts towarsd 'good driving' too, IMHO

Should we take licenses away from old people?
only if they're unfit to drive (eyesight, capacity to concentrate, reaction times...)

 

[Tee Kay]

Got my L (learners) permit at 18 (should've gotten it at 16, but I stupidly put it off for two years). Don't have my full license yet. I can, however, legally drive in Thailand; got the probationary license there when I went there a few years ago (basically, you can get a license if you can demonstrate that you can steer a car around a small obstacle course). I don't trust myself to drive anywhere though.

Being able to drive would be convenient in some situation, though I would probably continue to catch the bus to uni and to work most days; it's not too far away and on a convenient bus route. I certainly don't enjoy driving and I don't want to pay for petrol + parking space at uni.

 

[Godwynn]

I am a citizen of the greatest nation to ever grace this planet.

I earned my license at age 16.

I left my vehicle at my parents' house and I hope to never have to drive again. I hate driving because of the risk and expense.

 

[downtown]

So, when did you get your driver's license?
Late 16 or early 17. There wasn't much of a point in getting it right when I turned 16, as I had no access to a car.

Why did you get it when you did?
I lived in a pretty rural area, so I couldn't get around without either driving or bumming a ride from a friend. I finally got a car right around when I turned 17 (I can't remember if I was 16 or 17)

How difficult would it be to live without one where you live?
Not very hard at all...in fact, I kind of wish I didn't have a car here. I live in the city of Chicago, I take the train everywhere except the grocery store, church, and a few friend's houses. Parking is a pain in the butt.

Would you have gotten it earlier if possible?
Probably.

Do you think people should be able to get one at the age you did?
For where I grew up, I think 16 was appropriate.

Did you get a car when you got your license?
Yes, I paid 500 dollars for a 1985 Olds Cutlass from my older sister. My parents agreed to pay for the insurance until I graduated HS, so long as I kept my GPA at a certain level.

Do you have a car now?
You betcha. 2009 Kia Spectra. Great car, albeit not so needed in Chicago.

Are you a good driver?
Yup. 1 accident/traffic citation in 7 years of driving. Plus, now I can actually parallel park.

Should we take licenses away from old people?
Of course.
__________________

 

[Bamspeedy]

So, when did you get your driver's license?

Me = Permit at 15, license at 16.
My wife = Permit at 33, license at 34.

Why did you get it when you did?

Me = Took classes in school then took the test.
My wife = Moved to the US at age 32, prior to that she lived in China and just used a motorbike her whole life, so had no experience using a car/truck/van.

How difficult would it be to live without one where you live?

Well we do have a bus, the nearest bus stop is 2 miles away and it only stops there 4 times in the morning and 4 times in the afternoon (and only on weekdays).
Then there is taxi, but you are never going to be able to wave one down, you have to call them on the phone. And if they are busy then they might not get to you for 45 minutes.

Would you have gotten it earlier if possible?

Me = Probably not, legally I couldn't (I'm talking earlier as in years, not months or weeks) and if they changed the law so that I could have, it probably wouldn't be smart to drive at that young (for most people).
My wife = Yes, she was here for a year before she tried to get it. She should have started on it sooner.

Do you think people should be able to get one at the age you did?

Not sure. I did stupid things with the car at that young age, but luckily I wasn't one of those kids who gets himself killed.

Did you get a car when you got your license?

Can't remember if I had my '79 Ford Thunderbird then or if I used my parent's bonneville station wagon for the test. Passed on first attempt.

My wife used a 2001 Dodge Caravan for the test, took her four attempts. Was only asked to parallel park during one test.

Do you have a car now?

Yes, 2001 Dodge Caravan.

Are you a good driver?

I think so. I wasn't when I was younger (speeding, accidents-but the accidents never involved another vehicle and was always on icy roads)

Should we take licenses away from old people?

We should take them away from people who text while driving.

I could see re-testing at a certain age or something. My grandpa was still driving in his 80's and he drove through a cemetary (where there used to be a road).

 

[Farm Boy]

So, when did you get your driver's license?
At 16.

Why did you get it when you did?
Driver's Education at my high school coincided with students' 16th birthdays.

How difficult would it be to live without one where you live?
No bus, no train, no taxi. No car? No job.

Would you have gotten it earlier if possible?
Sure. I was driving agricultural equipment on roads far younger than 16. I dunno, maybe 12.

Do you think people should be able to get one at the age you did?
Yes. They have to learn sometime. My experience dictates an 18 year old with low/no driving experience is not really going to be much functionally safer than a 16 year old.

Did you get a car when you got your license?
No. Used the parents' 1984 Chevy pickup truck. Sometimes I miss that old rust bucket. 14 miles per gallon going downhill with a tailwind. 10 otherwise. Then again, I think gasoline hit 98 cents for a while that summer.

Do you have a car now?
Yep.

Are you a good driver?
Probably. Zero tickets or reportable accidents. Hit a deer once causing minor plastic damage. Almost hit a deer yesterday for that matter but avoided it.

Should we take licenses away from old people?
No. I am comfortable with the increased regularity of testing requirements that senior citizens already undergo in Illinois already. Let them drive until they can't. That fogey puttering at 45 on the interstate in the right lane is still flat out safer than any hair-brained arse talking on the phone while driving. Those people should be jailed.