State legislator reinstated the basic driving test . 14 - 18 year olds require a student driving course plus a driving skills test .18-24 year require an adult drivers course certificate as well as the driving test . Before the parents could fill out the paperwork and check the box on the bottom of the form waiving the driving portion.

We just went through this. They told us to check the box and they would issue my son his license. When we insisted that he take the driving test the lady became upset and told us "you know if he dosent pass it he dosent get his license right"? OK.............? What did I miss here.

Whats the law in your state ??

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Experience : what you receive 3 seconds after you really needed it !!



86 300SDL 387,000? Motor committed suicide
81 300SD 214,000 "new" 132,000 motor
83 300SD 212,000 parts car
83 300SD 147,000

91 F700 5.9 cummins 5spd eaton 298,000
66 AMC rambler American 2dr auto 108,000
95 Chevy 3/4 ton auto 160,000
03 Toyota 4runner 180,000 wifes

Test is mandatory, but the test is on a closed course that tests your ability to stay in your traffic lane and make a three-point turn without bumping the curb.

In colorado, the have mandatory tests and mandatory classes (classroom and driving) for kids under 18. Kids are required to have their leaners permit for a full year, but they can get one when they turn 15. My daughter is planning on being there on her 15th birthday.

The Texas law changed to that effect in August 31 2009. I think it was prudent to do so. Already, too many Texas adults drive erratically as it is to assume that a newly-anointed teen driver could fare any better...

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2009 ML350 (106K) - Family vehicle
2001 CLK430 Cabriolet (80K) - Wife's car
2005 BMW 645CI (138K) - My daily driver
2016 Mustang (32K) - Daughter's car

AH-MEN!!!!

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Just say "NO" to Ethanol - Drive Diesel

Mitchell Oates
Mooresville, NC
'87 300D 212K miles
'87 300D 151K miles - R.I.P. 12/08
'05 Jeep Liberty CRD 67K miles
Grumpy Old Diesel Owners Club

We've had mandatory driver's ed and test since 2001 for unlicensed persons under 18; 30 hours classroom, six hours behind the wheel or simulator + behind wheel; must be via certified instructor curriculum, not parents.

I don't remember when Texas went to no driving test, and they did it to save money for the DPS. Apparently that did not work out so well.

I got my drivers lisence when I was 16 in Texas and it just required passing a written test and a driving test. You could get your lisence at 14 if your parents said you needed it, and at 12 if it was a 'hardship case'.

You also could get a lisence at 14 if you were married and your spouse was over 18 years of age. You could drink booze pubicly at age 14 if your spouse was over age 21.

You could get a motorcycle lisence, under 5 hp, at age 10 if you needed it to go to work.

Things were a little different 50 years ago.....

Texas needs to make it stricter; all the states do.

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- Brian


1989 500SEL Euro
1966 250SE Cabriolet
1958 BMW Isetta 600

I'll second that.

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1980 300D - Veggie Burner !

I agree !

On a scarier note I went past a truck driving school today. On the huge sign over the building it said "three weeks to a new career"

At least two years over the road experience used to be required before any one would hire you. The neighbor went to that school and at 19 hes driving a flatbed . Hes only been driving two years !

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Experience : what you receive 3 seconds after you really needed it !!



86 300SDL 387,000? Motor committed suicide
81 300SD 214,000 "new" 132,000 motor
83 300SD 212,000 parts car
83 300SD 147,000

91 F700 5.9 cummins 5spd eaton 298,000
66 AMC rambler American 2dr auto 108,000
95 Chevy 3/4 ton auto 160,000
03 Toyota 4runner 180,000 wifes

If you needed two years experience in order to get a job, how did anyone get experience?

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Whoever said there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes never had a cheap Jaguar.

83 300D Turbo with manual conversion, early W126 vented front rotors and H4 headlights 401,xxx miles
08 Suzuki GSX-R600 M4 Slip-on 26,xxx miles
88 Jaguar XJS V12 94,xxx miles. Work in progress.
99 Mazda Miata 183,xxx miles.

Thats what I asked 20 years ago. It sure made it harder to get a job driving a 80,000 pound rig on the same highway as our families though.

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Experience : what you receive 3 seconds after you really needed it !!



86 300SDL 387,000? Motor committed suicide
81 300SD 214,000 "new" 132,000 motor
83 300SD 212,000 parts car
83 300SD 147,000

91 F700 5.9 cummins 5spd eaton 298,000
66 AMC rambler American 2dr auto 108,000
95 Chevy 3/4 ton auto 160,000
03 Toyota 4runner 180,000 wifes

Given a license to a teenage driver without a test strikes me as a recipe for disaster.

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

Yes, it is 3 weeks to a new career. HOWEVER, that does not mean I had you the keys to the executive washroom after 3 weeks. You have to pay your dues like everyone else.

I just talked to someone here in WI. Seems like he has to get some OTR experience before he can get the nicer routes which are more local. He investigated it and I am just reporting what he said but seems like he would have to pass thru school first. Next he had to get OTR runs which were probably long and people didn't like for a couple of years. After that, he could get local runs. I and he might be wrong so someone feel free to correct me.

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01 Ford Excursion Powerstroke
99 E300 Turbodiesel
91 Vette with 383 motor
05 Polaris Sportsman 800 EFI
06 Polaris Sportsman 500 EFI
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Red
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Yellow
04 Tailgator 21 ft Toy Hauler
11 Harley Davidson 883 SuperLow

I feel as if Pennsylvania has the formula down right.

16 you get your learner's permit for 6 months after you complete the written test. This took me 3 tries

Once the six months are up you're eligibile to apply for the road test with the DMV critter. It's pretty hard and I had to take it twice. The guy marked down my nervousness on the road test as a "Driver Distractrion" penalty This license is just a cinderella license with night time restrictions that are lifted if you have work/study engagements.

And finally at 18 the cinderella license becomes an adult one. If you opt to take a driver's ed class, which I did, there is a form you have to get notorized with the driver's education certificate and mail it off to Harrisburg. I paid the 10$ to get rid of the Junior license stamp, but some goon pocketed the check and I never got it. Either way I confirmed it was an adult license after a DMV critter confirmed it.

I know in some states like Arizona I think you can get the permit at 15 and a half. This would have enabled me to start working earlier, but I had to wait 6 months.

I'm young enough to remember how I was demonized by the powers at be for being a young driver. Getting my license early enabled me to start work at my dad's doctor's office and at a local Dairy Queen. I wouldn't have been able to afford the luxaries like gasoline and the luthier work for my viola at the time.

Most teens are responsible drivers. And I wouldn't trust a 1/4 statistic at all when it comes to accidents. They're just that, statistics and not god given facts.

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-Typos courtesy of my mobile phone.