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Hillmen Messenger

The School Newspaper of Placer High School

Hillmen Messenger

The School Newspaper of Placer High School

Hillmen Messenger

New license law stirs contention in the student body

Rumors of a change in the driving age from 16 to 18 have been brought up, which has caused mixed feelings from students and parents alike.  Other changes have also been made to the drivers’ licenses for drivers under the age of 21.

“If I had to wait until I was 18 to get my license, I would be very mad,” stated sophomore, John Dijkstra.

Dijkstra thinks that the license age should stay at sixteen because it would help kids have a better social life.

“I think high school kids should have the right to drive because they need to be able to get around, especially with late games and other after school activities that students want to go to but their parents don’t want to drop them off and pick them up,” he added.

Freshman Jordan Tucker agrees.  He said, “I want to get my license as soon as possible because it would be so much easier to do things and I wouldn’t have to ask my parents to take me everywhere,”

It’s not only unlicensed kids who think the law should stay the same.

“That is so true,” agreed junior Kristen Hiatt. “Life is so much better with your license.”
Hiatt said that she depends on her license everyday to get places, and it’s a lot easier not to depend on her parents.
“It would suck to wait to drive because then I’d have to depend on my parents for few more years,” said sophomore Ashley Dollahite.  “I am very independent, and I would like to have freedom to do what I want to do.  Plus people would probably drive at sixteen even if they didn’t have their license, and that’s bad because it’s illegal,” Dollahite added. 

 
Though teenagers might think it’s an unfair law, the statistics may show otherwise.  Teen car accidents are the number one leading cause of teenage deaths in America.  Each Year over 5,000 teens ages 16 to 20 die due to fatal injuries caused by car accidents. About 400,000 drivers age 16 to 20 are seriously injured.  From an adult’s perspective, the higher driving age may sound like a reasonable idea.

“In all honesty, teenagers are so much more reckless than adults.  They aren’t paying that much attention to the road so maybe if they wait until they’re older, they will be more cautious drivers,” stated parent Elizabeth Creencia.  “It’s strictly a safety thing.”
Maybe if we weren’t so used to the idea of getting our licenses at 16, then this wouldn’t be such a problem.  What if the government decided to lower the drinking age; would kids complain then? 

In parts of Italy, the legal driving age is 18; however, their drinking age is 16.

“That’s kind of a good thing because then kids would learn how alcohol affects their body before they drive so they would be less likely to drink and drive,” stated sophomore Sammie Legion.  “But for the U.S., I think it wouldn’t be fair to raise the driving age if you already have your permit.”

Another big change about California drivers’ licenses is their newly designed format.  The new cards feature a vertical layout for all drivers under the age of 21, images that can be seen only with the use of ultraviolet lights, and raised lettering that can be felt by the touch.  At quick glance, the new shape is so distinct, so it would be easier for police and bar tenders to spot underage offenders.

“I had no idea they were doing that,” said sophomore Eddie Vanderdoes.  “I think it’s a good idea though; it would make it harder for people to make fake IDs with all the hidden features.”

“I think the new licenses are a good idea, I mean it makes sense,” said senior Blake Willick.  “A lot of places don’t really check the date on licenses they just glance at it.”

People that already have their licenses or IDs are not required to get a new one until their next renewal date at which they will be issued a card of the new format.

There is no conformation of the raised driving age, but it may be coming in the near future, along with the new drivers’ license design.

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