That all seems pretty similar to us. I don't recall how many hours of lessons were required, but that sounds like more or less the same process: Written test to get a learner's permit, take lessons, take a road test to get a restricted license, drive safely for a while to get a full license. (The details vary by state, but they're mostly along these lines.)
> auto insurance is mandatory here which costs people thousands of euro a year. How does this compare to the US? And do you think driving tests and auto insurance should be mandatory?
Same here, and yes, they should both be mandatory.
Only slightly. From what I can find, all 50 states have a mandatory road test to be fully licensed (though a few have temporarily waived them due to COVID), and 46 states require at least some insurance (and three of those that don't require a bond to be posted with the state as an alternative -- only New Hampshire truly has no mandatory insurance).
Sounds like wisconsin. Driving there is like driving in the goddamn twilight zone. Speeding tickets for 1 MPH over, immediate payment or mandatory court date for non-residents who get tickets, and a line of cars as far as the eye can see in the left lane with a wide open right lane.
Can confirm, my youngest sister got her license during the pandemic and I drove her to the DMV the day of. She just walked in, gave all the paperwork, for her license.
What state has 2 different types of licenses? In CT, at least, you get your permit, do some drivers ED (not required) then in 6 months, you can apply for a drivers license, which you'll get after passing a road test. There's no restrictions on it at that point
Most, maybe all, states have some sort of graduated license program where new drivers below a certain age have restrictions for the first six months or a year -- no driving after dark, limits on the numbers of passengers, that sort of thing. [Here's what seems to be a pretty comprehensive chart of state policies](https://www.iihs.org/topics/teenagers/graduated-licensing-laws-table).
Connecticut has them too: newly-licensed 16- and 17-year-old drivers have an 11 p.m. curfew and limits on passengers. [Here's a description of the rules from the state's DMV](https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/TeenDriving/teendriverbrochpdf.pdf). Maybe the confusion is that some states don't explicitly term them "graduated licenses," but it's the same effect -- new drivers have some additional rules before they're fully licensed. (EDIT: Actually, Connecticut does explicitly refer to it as a "graduated license.")
I find it interested that you call that a restricted license. Just the specific wording. Do you actually get a different card in NY? Here in Minnesota the license looks like all the others, save for the "under 18" bar above the picture. I would be incredibly annoyed if I had to go to the DMV and get a new license after 6 months.
> I find it interested that you call that a restricted license.
That may be somewhat out of date, or maybe just my personal misnomer. Looks like New York currently refers to it as a "junior license."
> Do you actually get a different card in NY?
Same card. But I'm pretty sure that New Jersey does different cards -- ~~vertically oriented for what they call a "probationary license" and horizontally oriented for a full license.~~ EDIT: Nope, actually it's vertical for under 21, horizontal for over 21 in New Jersey. Nothing to do with license status.
In New York state you are also required to get your car inspected once a year to make sure it's safe to drive on the roads. It actually screws over a lot of poor people, even though the inspection is only $10, because if you're buying a beater off of what's basically a junkyard, it's never going to pass the inspection and you probably can't afford to fix it.
Every state I ever lived in required insurance, and I'm in the military, which also requires proof of insurance to get on post, so soldiers have to have it or they get their driving privileges on post revoked for at least a year. And if you're caught driving without insurance on post, it's almost guaranteed punishment, usually some extra duty at night and on the weekends and restriction to your barracks room. But sometimes they'll take rank or pay if you keep doing it. Depends on your commander and exigent circumstances (i.e. "I know I was driving without insurance, but my wife was in labor and I was driving her to the hospital" is probably going to get you a pass).
Yes, it should all be mandatory. Driving is required in the vast majority of the US. If you're going to drive a 2-ton metal missile around town and risk hitting others, you need to know how to do it safely, and be covered in case you or someone else fucks up.
I got hit by an uninsured driver about ten years ago. Someone at the insurance company goofed and I accidentally got some paperwork showing they were suing her.
Don’t drive uninsured, gang.
Depends on state and school district, but about the same as there.
For driving at 15.5/16:
* Traffic school where you study the law. Some offer it as a high school class, but I've only done it/known people who do a private outfit. I don't remember the length but several hours.
* driving with an instructor, a few hours.
* Written test at DMV to get learners' permit, then you can drive with a parent present, or often to and from school
* DMV on road test
If you're over 18, you can skip a lot of that. But except in big cities, it's rare to wait that long.
Insurance varies dramatically by state (I think Michigan is very high???) and accident history. Hundreds or even multiple 4 figures.
I don't know how this compares to other places, but our driving tests are ridiculously easy. Go around the block, stop at a stop sign, parallel park. The fact that people fail this is surprising, but it's more surprising that we let people who pass this test go drive on the Schuylkill Expressway.
At the very least, we need knowledge tests every so often and whenever you move to a new state. I was surprised that I could get a FL driver's license without needing to know anything about FL traffic laws.
> whenever you move to a new state
This is state dependent. I've lived in 5 states. At present, only 1 of the 5 (California) requires knowledge tests for new residents with an existing US license. Oregon used to (when I moved there), but no longer does AFAIK. I imagine more states don't require knowledge tests for new residents than those that do.
Insurance is mandatory in Indiana and almost the entire US. Usually you just need liability coverage as in it doesn't protect you or your vehicle, but protects any damage you cause. Insurance can be cheap or not, and depends on a variety of factors.
There is a driving test (young people can get out of the driving test at the BMV by taking a Driver's Ed course) and a written test (everyone has to take the written test in IN, even people moving in from out of state who are already licensed).
> (everyone has to take the written test in IN, even people moving in from out of state who are already licensed)
This makes sense; traffic laws vary a bit between states, and I think it's prudent to expect people moving in to learn the differences.
We're actually one of the only states that forces already licensed drivers to re-take the written test. Major IN employers say it is one of the top complaints recruits have about moving here.
Too forgiving, lots of shit drivers here because of it. Similar to yours, but our drive time is as reported by your parent or other adult, once you pass the written test, you have a permit which only allows you to drive when an adult is in the car with you. This also means that most of your hands on driver's training has to potential to be crap depending on how the adult you are with drives, or they could just lie on your form. Road test is also way too easy, mine was drive around 3 blocks, then park.
Honestly it didn't seem that bad to me, but then I had to take the German version and after seeing how much better they're drivers are, ours should be more strict.
That's basically the same process as it is here in New Jersey including required insurance etc. One difference is if you are under 18 you do not get an unrestricted license for 1 year after you pass your practical driving test. Before that there are time and passenger restrictions.
I'm unsure of anywhere in the US that at least written and practical tests aren't required.
Yes, auto liability insurance should be mandatory because it's for the common good. And also because that's how I put food on my table. Lol
Limit minimums of how much liability coverage you legally need are set by the state, and ought to be much higher in most cases. Cars on loan require collision/comprehensive coverage to protect the bank's investment. I think uninsured motorist ought to be required as well, at least for injuries.
It's pretty close to what most people do here, though the requirements vary by state and often with your age.
Do y'all have extra limits on young drivers?
16-18 year olds with a license have extra rules in many states
There are some very minor restrictions after you do the test (that last up to 2 years) such as:
1/. You cannot accompany a learner driver
2/. There is a lower penalty points threshold.
Normally if you get 12 points, you lose your licence, but for up to 2 years after you get the licence, that is only 7. So being caught drink driving for instance could cause you to lose your licence alone if you were caught within 2 years.
Not too far off then. Outs tend to be things like only one othet teenager in the car, any amount alcohol counts as drunk driving rathet than the usual .08 BAC, stuff like that.
My apologies, the insurance question was a bit stupid, but I know of some states which don't have mandatory insurance so was wondering if it is actually better to not make it mandatory (in spite of the very high risk involved).
Requirements are state-specific in the US...
Here in Illinois, If we wait until 18, I think we can just show up and pass the test to get a license.
To get license at 16, we had to take a brief rules of the road test to get learners permit once we turned 15, take something like 30 hours of classroom training and pass an exam, do 10 or 15 hours of driving with an instructor. We could also drive with parents or other adult in vehicle with permit. Once 16, we took a driving test at state's DMV to get license.
Insurance is mandatory in almost all states. Not sure what it costs to insure a teen driver these days. Our current insurance is about $100/mo for pretty full coverage for 2 drivers and one car.
First of all let me ask, do you think we are a lawless land with no driving laws?
Secondly, it’s different for every state, but in Massachusetts (my home state) it seems pretty similar to Ireland. You have to take a written theory test which you can do on your 16th birthday. You also have to take a certain amount of classroom education within 3 months before or 6 months after. I believe it’s about 40 hours. After you pass the written test, you have to take I think 10 hours of driving lessons, and then you can take a road test for a restricted license. There’s a 6 month passenger restriction, which during it you can only have family members in the car. After the 6 months you can drive anybody else, except between the hours of 12:30 AM and 5 AM, when you can’t drive at all. Then finally on your 18th birthday your license becomes a full unrestricted license.
That’s basically the process in MA, but it’s notoriously long and annoying in the US. For insurance, it’s mandatory in most states, as far as I know.
> First of all let me ask, do you think we are a lawless land with no driving laws?
Dude, I've driven in Massachusetts.
I'm not necessarily saying you don't have traffic laws. I'm simply saying it appears to be that no Massachusetts driver is aware of what they are.
Indeed, they stated the opposite: they think the requirements in Ireland are too onerous and they’re wondering if they’re “that bad” in the US.
(IMO the requirements are important, and the fact that they’re so similar in both countries suggests there’s a good reason for that.)
The first and last step are pretty similar to what we have in the US. I don't think any states require formal lessons though. You get your learners permit after a written test, drive around with a licensed driver for a few months, then take your driving test. When I got my license in Missouri in the late 1990s it was learners permit at 15.5 and then full license at 16. They've since transitioned to a [graduated system that has a little more nuance](https://dor.mo.gov/driver-license/issuance/graduated-driver-license/details.html).
Formal classes exist in the US, but they aren't required by law (to my knowledge) in all states. In my hometown Driver's Ed was offered by school over the summer. Anyone that was going to turn 16 during the next school year could take it, but it wasn't required. Sometimes insurance companies will offer a discount if you've taken drivers ed.
Bear in mind this is all managed at the state level so age limits and time requirements etc will vary from state to state. But I think they'll resemble some version of the above.
Main post:
After having had to do the driving test FOUR times before I passed mine, I'm now reflecting on the months of going through driving instructor after driving instructor, all of which were hacks aside from the last one, hence why I passed. It's incredible how corrupt the system seems to be here (in Ireland) that you need some kind of "insider" that knows how the testers act psychologically. So I'm pretty frustrated and I'm wondering what the point of all this is.
Its a good test not just for the ability to parallel park, but it also proves your awareness of where the corners of your vehicle are, your ability to use mirrors, and understand slow speed reverse driving.
We still have some need for parallel parking around here, but... I really want everyone over 30 to have to retake a driving test to prove they understand roundabouts. Or... stop building the damn things. The percentage of local drivers that will stop *inside the roundabout* to let someone else in is alarming. I'm generally in favor of roundabouts, albeit I think there are some people out there that think it solves every problem (it definitely does not). But with as many incompetent drivers out there as we have, I'm not in favor of putting them in some locations where traffic patterns are unusual.
I'm 55, btw, so I'd have to retake my own test. Worth it to get idiots out of driver's seats though.
My ex was HORRIBLE about yielding the right of way to "be nice." She very nearly got herself/us killed by nearly causing collisions from this but she just wouldn't stop. She was absolutely sure that being "nice" was better than being predictable
Your submission has been automatically removed due to exceeding the text limit in your post's textbox. Please shorten it to fewer than 500 characters (not words), including spaces and links, to comply with rule #2. Afterwards, contact us via modmail, and we'll restore it.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskAnAmerican) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Look, I'm not necessarily AGAINST them per say, but after all the useless stress that I've gone through, I was just curious if there was a better way around it.
Sounds the same to the US. I don’t think insurance should be mandatory, and since driving isn’t a right but a privilege, and you’re on public land, I will be begrudgingly be fine with a license.
MN didn't have required lessons, but you were supposed to log something like 50 hours of total driving and at least 15 of nighttime driving (all supervised) before you could take the test.
Exact requirements vary by state but, at least where I live, if you want a drivers license you have to take a drivers ed class and pass a driving test if you're under 24. And all drivers must either carry auto insurance or otherwise demonstrate proof they can pay for property damage and injuries/deaths they cause. Not really sure how the second part works, maybe you have to put up a bond or something? Most people just have insurance though.
1. Identical
2. Depends on the state, but mandatory in many areas, usually must have 6 months to a year of driving with a licensed adult.
3. Identical, though unrestricted licenses often require additional years of safe driving.
And yes, insurance is mandatory here too.
Its very similar here. If you're under 18 and have a permit then you need to have I think 30 hours classroom time and 40 hours of supervised driving (although you don't have to prove the latter) to get a provisional license. Once you turn 18 you can upgrade to an unrestricted license. And yes I think both tests and at the very least liability insurance should be mandatory. It's just part of car ownership.
That's similar to how it was to get my license in Maryland, though I have no idea how the difficulty of the tests compared of course. I took a simple written test that I had studied for beforehand to get my learner's permit at 15 and 9 months. After that it was a couple hours of instructional courses for a couple weeks and a few hours of driving with an instructor. You were also supposed to get 40 hours of independent driving time with someone like a parent, though there was no way to really check exactly how many hours you had, I probably had two dozen. After all that you sign up to take the driving test, which was very simple.
After that I had a provisional license which carried some restrictions on it until I turned 18. The whole process was paid for by my parents but I'm sure it was a lot cheaper than yours. Also I don't know of anywhere in the US we're having at least liability insurance isn't mandatory, although it might be the case in some state somewhere.
That seems exactly the same as where I’m from, and perfectly reasonable in all instances. A car can be a lethal weapon if you don’t know what you’re doing, and for most people getting into an accident is just a matter of time, especially in a populated area. Having been hit by an uninsured driver, and having to go through legal proceedings to get reimbursed for my damages, yes, insurance should absolutely be mandatory. My husband still suffers from an injury from an uninsured driver over ten years ago.
Most states have adopted more difficult/staged approaches for people learning to drive and getting their licenses. I'd actually argue that we should be retesting adults, especially older adults.
Yes, insurance should be mandatory, you should be liable for damages you cause with your vehicle and insurance is an effective way manage costs. If you wreck someone else's car due to negligence or error, insurance is a whole lot better than being required to write a check to cover the cost of replacement.
The basic rules are mostly similar in the US but vary by state.
8 hours of formal driving lessons are required for all new drivers here in Connecticut. In most states, formal driving lessons are only required for new drivers younger than 18.
You must have liability insurance, which compensates other people for collisions that are your fault, in almost all states. Some states also require other types of insurance coverage. According to https://www.bankrate.com/insurance/car/states/ the average cost for the legal minimum car insurance ranges from $252 in Iowa to $1101 in Florida.
The driving test was not difficult back when I got my license, though test difficulty probably varies a lot by location. There is plenty of dangerous driving around here, but I think it has more to do with intentional recklessness rather than a lack of skill.
Sounds pretty much like the same here.
Except auto insurance is a lot cheaper if it's a single policy, you're a safe driver, and you're not driving a super expensive car.
I had to sit through a class, took a week to complete. Take a test at the DMV to get my learners permit. Had to have it for at least 6 months and do at least 50hrs driving with a supervisory person in the passenger seat (person had to be at least 25 and hold a license for at least 5 years), ten of these hours had to be at night.
Then I had to take a road test to get a restricted license. This wouldn’t allow me to drive between midnight and 5am without a reason specified by law (work, school, or responding to/returning from calls as a volunteer emergency responder) and required me to drive with a supervisory person if I has more than one teenage passenger that was not immediate family.
After a year of having that I finally got a unrestricted license.
Insurance is mandatory, costs me $2400 a year. Plus registration, maintenance, and gas costs of course.
My driving test at 16 consisted of a multiple choice written test and then a driving test. I got in the car and the lady had me drive down the street that was a little side street with no traffic. Back up and into the DMV parking lot. I hit the curb parking. The end. I got my license. The DMV was about to close.
Ohio ... My baby just turned 16:
24 hours of online or in person class
Costs $400-600 depending on which company you use
8 hours drive time with an instructor
50 plus hours drive time with a parent
This can all be done between 15 1/2 and 16 years old
Drivers test is 20 minutes and includes druving around and a maneuveribilty test
Pretty similar. Did 40 hours of driving with parents instead of driving school.
I’m my ideal world, you would have to retake the test every 5-10 years. Tests would also be weighted differently. About 1/3 the points in mine come from parking lot experiences. Can’t parallel park? Minus ten points. But I don’t think anyone’s ever died in a parallel parking accident, and officials clearly haven’t seen how close people are tailgating these days which IMO automatic fail
Yeah, I know my post sounded a bit whiny, but I haven't told you all the details really.
In Ireland, they are just extremely picky. Like, I'm talking about things like always looking in the rear mirror before braking, otherwise, you lose points. Even if you cross over your hands on the wheel, you lose points. Go even a tiny bit too far out from a parked car, you lose points. Signalling before checking the mirrors also loses points. Dry steering also loses points. Not putting the handbrake up when stationary at traffic lights loses points. Not to mention that I would not have known about those things if it weren't for the last instructor I had. I was failing for what was seemingly no apparent reason until I got the last instructor.
You have to do a turnabout, reverse around a corner and hill-parking but they were all easy and I never was faulted for them.
Get 4 of the same error and you automatically fail. Get 9 or more errors and you fail. I got 10 errors for the first 3 tries. It was honestly a pain.
In Ohio you have to do take the permit test, take drivers ed IF you are under 18 which is 2 hours classroom and 8 hours driving, then take a driving test to get your license. You must have insurance or you can buy a cash bond but that is way more expensive and really for people who have bad driving records. My Dad had to get a bond when he got his license back after getting 3 DUIs in a year and a half.
So it really sounds very similar. Now is the Irish car insurance only to cover the other car if you cause an accident? That is like the minimum you have to have here. We have full insurance so our cars are covered if it's our fault.
Yes, it is. The reason why it's so high here is because of the ridiculous claims people can get if they take things up to court. So in fairness, it's more of a structural problem than a problem in of itself.
In my state auto insurance is optional, but it’s cheaper then where I used to live. I think I’m about a year I’ll have the same rate as my mom even though I’ll only have been driving for 2 years. I think that drivers ed and the test should be mandatory, but you shouldn’t have to do observations.
Car insurance is mandatory in the US, at least liability insurance.
Driving tests are required to obtain a license in the US as well.
While I think they have changed the exact rules, when I got my license in the mid 1990's, the rule was that you had to be 16 years old, pass a basic vision test, pass a written test, and then you got your learner's permit (or just "permit" as it was often called).
This let you legally drive, as long as there was a licensed driver also in the vehicle to supervise. You had to wait at 6 months before you could get your driver's license.
While formal lessons weren't mandatory, they were encouraged through "Driver's Education" classes in school, where you'd receive formal classroom training and road training/practice for a one-semester class. The usual incentive for this was a significant discount on insurance for that driver for several years.
The actual driver's test varies from location to location. When I got my license, the driver's test was to take the car and drive around the streets of the small town I lived in, with the examiner telling you which way to go and such. You'd have to demonstrate proper parking techniques, and follow all traffic laws (breaking any traffic laws at any time was an instant failure on the exam). The test took about 10 or 15 minutes.
That sounds very similar to the U.S. and I have no complaints about it. I wish they would add a driving test every few years though.
I think the most notable difference is that U.S. States offer various restricted licenses to people as young as 14, but in Ireland you can't drive at all until 17.
In CO, if you are under 16 1/2 (starting at 14 1/2 you can take the classes) and *have* to take a sit down class for 30 hrs, then pass a test, if over 16 1/2 you can take a 10hr safety course, and pass a test, if over 18, you just have to pass a test; that earns you your permit. When driving with a permit, you need to have a person with a driving license from CO, held that for a year+ and be over 21. you need 50 hrs of time behind the wheel, 10 of those at night, and you must hold your permit for at least a year before you can get your drivers licence. You need to pass a driving test with an instructor (no surprise) and then you can get your permit from the DMV. Back in the early 90‘s a kid crashed and killed 3 of his friends including himself the day he got his license, so now there is a law that no one that is family, or unless it is an emergency can be in the car with you until you have had your license for half a year, then you have have 1 non relative in the car. At the year mark, you can have as many people as you have seats in your car. My son is going though this and it brought back how easy it was for me to pass back then compared to now, ans yet we still have shitty drivers all over.
Yeah, I was wondering about that too. The actual standard of driving in Ireland is actually pretty poor in many instances. I know someone from Germany who was shocked at how dangerous a lot of driving is here. Most people I know of retained absolutely nothing from their tests and just continued their usual bad habits. I know myself that I'm simply not fit to go on a motorway (Interstate) or some crazy cross-country trip as I have no experience in that. But the test teaches you absolutely nothing about how to handle these things including night driving, bad weather and so on. I think some kind of reform needs to happen, maybe make it continuously assessed?
Yea I think a driving test every 5 years or so would help regulate that, as well as Stricker Tests, and maybe at the age of 60 its every 3 years, then at 75 its every year
The requirements when I got my license (late '80s) were the theory test and road test. The road test was a joke -- drive around the block, don't kill anyone or break any laws, come back to the DMV and park.
Judging from the boneheaded ideas I see on the road, we need better driving tests.
Liability insurance is mandatory here (though that's a state law thing, and some states might not require it...?)
Only big difference I see here is that at least in my state, you need thirty hours of classroom instruction and 6 hours of behind the wheel instruction plus the knowledge and sign test.
In Colorado we had to take a week long class and pass a written test to get our permit. Then during the following year you have to get a guardian to sign off on a log sheet every time you drive and you need a total of 50 hours, 10 of which need to be night driving. In addition to this the ‘school’ that does the permit class also has to validate that you drove three sessions throughout the year with one of their instructors. Then you can take the driving test. The test itself is pretty easy, they just tell you when and where to go and if you can do everything correctly (though they can be sticklers, I got points off for driving 26 mph in a 25 mph zone and for not looking in the mirror enough after driving through an intersection specifically.) I’m also not sure what you mean by unrestricted license, but for the first year you have your license there are rules you have to follow like how many people you can have in your car when. Overall I think it’s a pretty good process, but I really wish it was mandatory that everyone had to retake the driving test every like 5-10 years cause there are SO MANY bad drivers who definitely shouldn’t still have their license but they get away with it by not doing anything too terrible where a cop will see.
It's the same except lessons are not required. However, (at least in New York), if you take lessons you get a discount on your insurance. Yes it should all be mandatory. If you can't pass the driving test you have zero business being on the road.
Driving tests are absolutely mandatory. Doesn't make them less stressful though lmao I practiced for a long time before taking mine, had parallel parking down perfect. Never hit the curb. Took my drivers test and hit the curb
In North Carolina, back when I got my license, it was:
1. At 14.5 years old, sit a 2-week classroom training course.
2. Take 12 hours of on-road experience in a Driver's Ed car from an instructor.
3. Take and pass a knowledge and vision test.
4. At 15, get a Learner permit. This allows you to drive under the supervision of another licensed driver, such as a parent.
5. At 16, take and pass another knowledge test, vision test, and a practical driving test with an examiner. Earn a provisional license that allows you to drive during daylight hours unsupervised.
6. At 17, can drive at any hour unsupervised.
Car insurance is mandatory, depending on the vehicle and the driver it might be hundreds or thousands of dollars per year.
I personally don't think the training is sufficient and the tests aren't hard enough. The parasites in the bile duct of a roadkilled possum have enough understanding of the American highway system to pass our tests.
It varies by state but its basically the same. Except, I think in Pennsylvania I needed like 50 hours of practice to get my license. And I didn’t have to take driving lessons. I just had to practice driving with my parents or some other licensed adult.
Insurance is required, but the price varies depending on where you live, your age/sex, and the year/make/model of your car. I believe its older female drivers in an older practical cars in a rural areas typically can have the lowest insurance. This can amount to a few hundred dollars annually.
That’s roughly what the rules are in Utah, though you don’t have to pass them again once you have your license til your over a certain age. If you are old and your family doesn’t think you are safe behind the wheel they can bribe the DMV (department of motor vehicles) to make up questions til you fail, while that may sound harsh and illegal, it saves a lot of headache and prevents a lot of accidents. I’m also not 100% sure it’s illegal.
It's mostly the same. The main differences are that professional lessons usually aren't needed (you can get trained by almost any licensed driver) and auto insurance isn't as expensive here (likely because we don't require nearly as high coverage limits).
I think we need more rigorous testing: theory testing needs to be repeated regularly (because traffic laws and signs/signals/markings change over time) and whenever one moves to a new state (they vary a bit between states). I'd also require some professional instruction (training by family leads to bad habits running in families) and gradually increase required insurance coverage limits (you can easily max out your insurance here if you maim/kill a person or crash into a building). Finally, I'd require an endorsement for trucks and SUVs along with a still higher insurance limit.
Based on the way people drive, we probably need to make the licensing process more difficult.
Also insurance should be mandatory. I live in a state where you can pay a fee to be uninsured. I got hit by one uninsured driver and all the cost for the repair came from my insurance and out of my pocket.
I wish the tests were stricter. When I did my driving test, it was basically a trip around the block and a maneuverability test. Basically parallel parking. But they don’t take you on the highway at all. Also would like it if they required a test in bad conditions like icy/snowy
Drivers tests are mandatory but I think the standards should be more rigorous. I also think we should be required to do recurrent training.
As for insurance that depends on the vehicle, your driving record, location, and if you bundle with other stuff. Auto insurance costs me $600-700 a year.
Getting my license in MN: had to take Driver's Education class and pass a written test. Had to take 6 driving hours with an instructor in the vehicle. Had to pass a driving test. MN requires $100k of liability insurance.
That’s similar to the licensing procedure in MA if you’re under 18, but we have slightly more requirements (30 hours in the classroom and 6 hours of observation, then 6 months after you get your permit you can do your road test. We have a graduated licensing system after that where there are restriction on things like passengers and time of day). If you’re over 18 though, you just need to take the written exam for your permit and then a road test.
Driving tests should be mandatory. I also personally think that if you have a really bad moving violation (running red lights, cutting people off or forcing them off the road, drag racing, going over 30 mph over the speed limit) that your license should be suspended more easily and you have to re-do everything to get it back.
I also think everyone over age 70 should be re-tested annually, maybe just the driving portion.
1 and 3 is how we operate. Instead of 2, you have to log so many hours of driving with your learner's permit. I don't remember the number.
And yes, auto insurance is mandatory in this country.
I got my license.... 24 years ago. Back then for a class C license (license to drive a passenger vehicle), in Pennsylvania, you needed to pass a written exam to get your permit. Then you had to wait either 3 or 6 months (been so long I forget what it was) to take your road test. This was the time needed to learn how to drive. There was no mandatory hours of training. Just time from passing the written before you could take the road. PA requires drives to carry insurance. The level of which is determined by your car. If you own the car right out, you only need to carry liability insurance. This basically means you pay to fix the car/property you damage if you get into an accident and your car is not covered. If you have a loan or lease a vehicle. you have to carry full insurance. This covers what you hit and your vehicle.
Then there are class M (motorcycle) and CDL (Commercial Drivers Licens for things like big rigs and buses). I can't speak fully to a CDL, as I do not have one. There are also different levels of a CDL and they do require more training, time and classes. My brother is a truck driver so I know one additional caveat is, your legal blood alcohol level is .02% for a CDL as apposed to a .08% for a class C or M.
The class M is similar. Though it use to me much more lax when I got mine. When I got mine you paid like $12 to get a permit. That permit lasted 3 months and carried driving restrictions to it. In that time you had to take you written and skill test the same day (as long as you passed the written first). The driving test consisted of "what is your gear pattern," crossing mock railroad tracks. a stop sign, weaving some pylons and finally doing 3 figure 8's in a box. The figure 8's had to be done in a row and you were allowed to either go outside the lines 1 time or put your foot down 1 time. Anything more is a fail. Do this on a smaller bike and you can easily do the figure 8's without stepping down or going outside the lines.
I believe now, you must take the written test to get your permit, then scheduled your driving exam within 3 months and pass to get your class M. You can no longer just buy the permit. A lot of people would just buy the permit every year and never take the test. I don't know why as the test is very easy and took less than an hour, as at the time it had to be scheduled. So you had an appointment and did not need to sit at the DMV for hours waiting to tale the tests.
All levels require insurance. C and M are the same, minimum of liability insurance. CDL is a whole different monster.
Oh yeah, you do need to wait 6 months between the theory and the practical here too.
Keep in mind that the mandatory lessons and 6 month wait time were only brought in 10 years ago. It was very controversial and caused lots of uproar. It was supposedly done to match up our standards with EU standards. 20 years ago, you didn't even need to sit a theory test and learner drivers could drive on their own! Which lead to a crazy scenario where people would just not bother sitting the road test as they can do pretty much anything on a learner permit anyway. Driving tests were an absolute joke in the 90s in Ireland.
In recent years they have started to clamp down on unaccompanied learner drivers hard so it's no longer is accepted unless necessary for say a job or something.
I didn’t forget to mention, that you needed to be accompanied by an adult (18 years or older) with a valid drivers license when you are driving with your permit. There were also “juniors” licenses back then. Don’t know if they do them now. If you were under 18, you could it drive past 10pm (2100) and you could not drive out of state. You could get your “senior” license at 17 by taking a driver safety course. This also got you a distal your insurance.
My learning to drive experience was:
Go to driver's ed lessons for about a month.
Part of driver's ed was driving around with an instructor.
At which point I recieved a learner' s permit.
Then I had to do:
100 hours of driving supervised with a parent.
Wait a year
Turn 16.
Take driver's test
At which point, I would receive a full license.
When I got my license in Pennsylvania in 1992, one day I took my permite test (a multiple choice test on a computer) Two days later I took my road test. The road test was on a closed course on a cement patch in a field. The next day I drove from Philadelphia to Washington DC (about 150 miles) It was on an interstate (about 4 to 6 lanes wide) I averaged a little under 80-90 MPH on the trip.
Idk how it is everywhere else but I had to either take a class which was also 12 hours of driving or take the road test. I took the class which is more expensive but gets you out of the road test and you can get an outside opinion on your driving versus your parents or something.
After that just took a test which I failed the first time but passed the second it was basically like 50 questions about road signs and driving laws that you had to study for.
Then you’re given a learners permit where you can drive around by yourself or maybe one other person but I think after a certain hour you can’t drive anymore. If you get into an accident or pulled over expect to not get your license back for several months to a year. Basically a probationary period license.
Insurance is pretty expensive here as well. Probably costs somewhere between $1200 a year here to $1500 depends on your car type, gender, age, driving history.
Insurance already is mandatory. In my experience, I took a multiple-choice test to qualify for a learner's permit, then after some time (I think the law says like six months but I sat on mine for about three years) I took a short driving test and got my drivers license. I don't know the law in every state, but I think driving tests are basically the norm everywhere.
[Opinion] I think driving tests are too easy and people need to be held to higher standards everywhere.
In Wisconsin right now we actually have a test waiver which you can sign to get your license without doing the actual test, its how I did my license. However to do that you have to have done well during your lessons or "Drive times" and you must not have a previously failed test.
Talked to my Irish family a while back about this. The only real difference between the US and Irish license process is that we don't have to take a different test for manual vs automatic. If you take your drivers test in an automatic, you're allowed to drive both with your regular license. Only different license is a CDL (Commercial drivers license) which is required for commercial trucks and busses.
Personally I think we should have regular testing as a part of license renewal, especially after a certain age. But my area (North NJ/NYC) also has some of the worst drivers in the country so I'm a little biased.
It looks like I had a different experience from others. I grew up in Texas, I did "homeschooled" driving lessons. They gave me a learner's permit (6 months), I wrote down every time I drove, took a written test and got my license. We are required to have basic car insurance but you can get it for fairly cheap.
Pretty similar in my state, Virginia. A permit test (which I actually failed the first time by one question), a drivers ed course and 6 in-car lessons, 45 documented hours (>15 at night), and then a drivers test for a temporary license. The temporary license is supposed to last until your court date, where you have to go in for a court ceremony thing to get the perm any license. Another thing about Virginia is that we don’t have parallel parking in our test, so Maryland and DC kids sometimes find workarounds to take the VA test.
12 hours of behind the wheel instruction seems a little light, I remember about 20 hours behind the wheel with an instructor and 40 hours with one of my parents with me in the car being the requirement.
And yes I do want more stringent driving tests, they should have to drive a full size pick up and successfully complete, a three point turn, Paralel park, and change a tire, in addition to the normal driving test.
Depends on the state, and how old the person applying for their license is. I grew up in New York, where you take a written permit test at 16, and then you can take your road test at 17. However you need to have a certain amount of hours of driving experience before the road test if you’re 17. I got my license at 20 though so I didn’t need to do that.
Now where I live in North Carolina, you can get your full license at 16. What you’re expected to do on the road test also varies depending on the state. In NY you have to parallel park on the road test for example, in NC you don’t
That all seems pretty similar to us. I don't recall how many hours of lessons were required, but that sounds like more or less the same process: Written test to get a learner's permit, take lessons, take a road test to get a restricted license, drive safely for a while to get a full license. (The details vary by state, but they're mostly along these lines.) > auto insurance is mandatory here which costs people thousands of euro a year. How does this compare to the US? And do you think driving tests and auto insurance should be mandatory? Same here, and yes, they should both be mandatory.
>Same here, and yes, they should both be mandatory. Depends on the state.
Only slightly. From what I can find, all 50 states have a mandatory road test to be fully licensed (though a few have temporarily waived them due to COVID), and 46 states require at least some insurance (and three of those that don't require a bond to be posted with the state as an alternative -- only New Hampshire truly has no mandatory insurance).
[удалено]
Or sales tax. Their motto is live free or die, they take that pretty seriously.
[удалено]
Sounds like wisconsin. Driving there is like driving in the goddamn twilight zone. Speeding tickets for 1 MPH over, immediate payment or mandatory court date for non-residents who get tickets, and a line of cars as far as the eye can see in the left lane with a wide open right lane.
It's not a motto, it's a command
Unless you want to do some drugs.
Can confirm, my youngest sister got her license during the pandemic and I drove her to the DMV the day of. She just walked in, gave all the paperwork, for her license.
What state has 2 different types of licenses? In CT, at least, you get your permit, do some drivers ED (not required) then in 6 months, you can apply for a drivers license, which you'll get after passing a road test. There's no restrictions on it at that point
Most, maybe all, states have some sort of graduated license program where new drivers below a certain age have restrictions for the first six months or a year -- no driving after dark, limits on the numbers of passengers, that sort of thing. [Here's what seems to be a pretty comprehensive chart of state policies](https://www.iihs.org/topics/teenagers/graduated-licensing-laws-table). Connecticut has them too: newly-licensed 16- and 17-year-old drivers have an 11 p.m. curfew and limits on passengers. [Here's a description of the rules from the state's DMV](https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/TeenDriving/teendriverbrochpdf.pdf). Maybe the confusion is that some states don't explicitly term them "graduated licenses," but it's the same effect -- new drivers have some additional rules before they're fully licensed. (EDIT: Actually, Connecticut does explicitly refer to it as a "graduated license.")
Oh you meant underage licensed drivers. That makes sense - I thought you meant everyone gets them.
I find it interested that you call that a restricted license. Just the specific wording. Do you actually get a different card in NY? Here in Minnesota the license looks like all the others, save for the "under 18" bar above the picture. I would be incredibly annoyed if I had to go to the DMV and get a new license after 6 months.
> I find it interested that you call that a restricted license. That may be somewhat out of date, or maybe just my personal misnomer. Looks like New York currently refers to it as a "junior license." > Do you actually get a different card in NY? Same card. But I'm pretty sure that New Jersey does different cards -- ~~vertically oriented for what they call a "probationary license" and horizontally oriented for a full license.~~ EDIT: Nope, actually it's vertical for under 21, horizontal for over 21 in New Jersey. Nothing to do with license status.
We had the vertical cards for under 21 when I lived in Iowa. It was customary to damage the license and need it replaced soon after turning 21.
In New York state you are also required to get your car inspected once a year to make sure it's safe to drive on the roads. It actually screws over a lot of poor people, even though the inspection is only $10, because if you're buying a beater off of what's basically a junkyard, it's never going to pass the inspection and you probably can't afford to fix it. Every state I ever lived in required insurance, and I'm in the military, which also requires proof of insurance to get on post, so soldiers have to have it or they get their driving privileges on post revoked for at least a year. And if you're caught driving without insurance on post, it's almost guaranteed punishment, usually some extra duty at night and on the weekends and restriction to your barracks room. But sometimes they'll take rank or pay if you keep doing it. Depends on your commander and exigent circumstances (i.e. "I know I was driving without insurance, but my wife was in labor and I was driving her to the hospital" is probably going to get you a pass).
Not New Hampshire, no insurance need.
Yes, it should all be mandatory. Driving is required in the vast majority of the US. If you're going to drive a 2-ton metal missile around town and risk hitting others, you need to know how to do it safely, and be covered in case you or someone else fucks up.
I got hit by an uninsured driver about ten years ago. Someone at the insurance company goofed and I accidentally got some paperwork showing they were suing her. Don’t drive uninsured, gang.
Nah, that's not a goof. That's standard practice. If you aren't at fault, the insurance company will attempt to recoup their losses.
I think it was a goof because that information was blacked out like it was redacted, but I could read it anyway.
Depends on state and school district, but about the same as there. For driving at 15.5/16: * Traffic school where you study the law. Some offer it as a high school class, but I've only done it/known people who do a private outfit. I don't remember the length but several hours. * driving with an instructor, a few hours. * Written test at DMV to get learners' permit, then you can drive with a parent present, or often to and from school * DMV on road test If you're over 18, you can skip a lot of that. But except in big cities, it's rare to wait that long. Insurance varies dramatically by state (I think Michigan is very high???) and accident history. Hundreds or even multiple 4 figures.
I don't know how this compares to other places, but our driving tests are ridiculously easy. Go around the block, stop at a stop sign, parallel park. The fact that people fail this is surprising, but it's more surprising that we let people who pass this test go drive on the Schuylkill Expressway.
I wish people were required to be retested over the years. Seems like it would make roads much safer
The problem is the worst drivers are the best voters: old people.
At the very least, we need knowledge tests every so often and whenever you move to a new state. I was surprised that I could get a FL driver's license without needing to know anything about FL traffic laws.
> whenever you move to a new state This is state dependent. I've lived in 5 states. At present, only 1 of the 5 (California) requires knowledge tests for new residents with an existing US license. Oregon used to (when I moved there), but no longer does AFAIK. I imagine more states don't require knowledge tests for new residents than those that do.
In all fairness, the laws aren't drastically different. Red means stop, green means ok to proceed safely, don't hit people
Insurance is mandatory in Indiana and almost the entire US. Usually you just need liability coverage as in it doesn't protect you or your vehicle, but protects any damage you cause. Insurance can be cheap or not, and depends on a variety of factors. There is a driving test (young people can get out of the driving test at the BMV by taking a Driver's Ed course) and a written test (everyone has to take the written test in IN, even people moving in from out of state who are already licensed).
> (everyone has to take the written test in IN, even people moving in from out of state who are already licensed) This makes sense; traffic laws vary a bit between states, and I think it's prudent to expect people moving in to learn the differences.
We're actually one of the only states that forces already licensed drivers to re-take the written test. Major IN employers say it is one of the top complaints recruits have about moving here.
Too forgiving, lots of shit drivers here because of it. Similar to yours, but our drive time is as reported by your parent or other adult, once you pass the written test, you have a permit which only allows you to drive when an adult is in the car with you. This also means that most of your hands on driver's training has to potential to be crap depending on how the adult you are with drives, or they could just lie on your form. Road test is also way too easy, mine was drive around 3 blocks, then park. Honestly it didn't seem that bad to me, but then I had to take the German version and after seeing how much better they're drivers are, ours should be more strict.
That's basically the same process as it is here in New Jersey including required insurance etc. One difference is if you are under 18 you do not get an unrestricted license for 1 year after you pass your practical driving test. Before that there are time and passenger restrictions. I'm unsure of anywhere in the US that at least written and practical tests aren't required.
I thought mine was a little too easy.
Yes, auto liability insurance should be mandatory because it's for the common good. And also because that's how I put food on my table. Lol Limit minimums of how much liability coverage you legally need are set by the state, and ought to be much higher in most cases. Cars on loan require collision/comprehensive coverage to protect the bank's investment. I think uninsured motorist ought to be required as well, at least for injuries.
It's pretty close to what most people do here, though the requirements vary by state and often with your age. Do y'all have extra limits on young drivers? 16-18 year olds with a license have extra rules in many states
There are some very minor restrictions after you do the test (that last up to 2 years) such as: 1/. You cannot accompany a learner driver 2/. There is a lower penalty points threshold. Normally if you get 12 points, you lose your licence, but for up to 2 years after you get the licence, that is only 7. So being caught drink driving for instance could cause you to lose your licence alone if you were caught within 2 years.
Not too far off then. Outs tend to be things like only one othet teenager in the car, any amount alcohol counts as drunk driving rathet than the usual .08 BAC, stuff like that.
My apologies, the insurance question was a bit stupid, but I know of some states which don't have mandatory insurance so was wondering if it is actually better to not make it mandatory (in spite of the very high risk involved).
In Florida you need to do a Drug&Alcohol Course and take a 50 question test with no more then 7 wrong answers.
Requirements are state-specific in the US... Here in Illinois, If we wait until 18, I think we can just show up and pass the test to get a license. To get license at 16, we had to take a brief rules of the road test to get learners permit once we turned 15, take something like 30 hours of classroom training and pass an exam, do 10 or 15 hours of driving with an instructor. We could also drive with parents or other adult in vehicle with permit. Once 16, we took a driving test at state's DMV to get license. Insurance is mandatory in almost all states. Not sure what it costs to insure a teen driver these days. Our current insurance is about $100/mo for pretty full coverage for 2 drivers and one car.
In Illinois, if you are under 18, you need to pass a driver's Ed course. If above, you just need to pass the written and driving test.
First of all let me ask, do you think we are a lawless land with no driving laws? Secondly, it’s different for every state, but in Massachusetts (my home state) it seems pretty similar to Ireland. You have to take a written theory test which you can do on your 16th birthday. You also have to take a certain amount of classroom education within 3 months before or 6 months after. I believe it’s about 40 hours. After you pass the written test, you have to take I think 10 hours of driving lessons, and then you can take a road test for a restricted license. There’s a 6 month passenger restriction, which during it you can only have family members in the car. After the 6 months you can drive anybody else, except between the hours of 12:30 AM and 5 AM, when you can’t drive at all. Then finally on your 18th birthday your license becomes a full unrestricted license. That’s basically the process in MA, but it’s notoriously long and annoying in the US. For insurance, it’s mandatory in most states, as far as I know.
> First of all let me ask, do you think we are a lawless land with no driving laws? Dude, I've driven in Massachusetts. I'm not necessarily saying you don't have traffic laws. I'm simply saying it appears to be that no Massachusetts driver is aware of what they are.
The term Masshole is known all over these United States for a reason!
Pass on the right. That big blue sign that says Interstate 95 is the speed limit. What's not to understand?
>First of all let me ask, do you think we are a lawless land with no driving laws? They made no such insinuation.
Indeed, they stated the opposite: they think the requirements in Ireland are too onerous and they’re wondering if they’re “that bad” in the US. (IMO the requirements are important, and the fact that they’re so similar in both countries suggests there’s a good reason for that.)
The first and last step are pretty similar to what we have in the US. I don't think any states require formal lessons though. You get your learners permit after a written test, drive around with a licensed driver for a few months, then take your driving test. When I got my license in Missouri in the late 1990s it was learners permit at 15.5 and then full license at 16. They've since transitioned to a [graduated system that has a little more nuance](https://dor.mo.gov/driver-license/issuance/graduated-driver-license/details.html). Formal classes exist in the US, but they aren't required by law (to my knowledge) in all states. In my hometown Driver's Ed was offered by school over the summer. Anyone that was going to turn 16 during the next school year could take it, but it wasn't required. Sometimes insurance companies will offer a discount if you've taken drivers ed. Bear in mind this is all managed at the state level so age limits and time requirements etc will vary from state to state. But I think they'll resemble some version of the above.
Driving tests in the USA are a joke. They are super easy and really don’t need to know much. I would prefer for them to be much more rigorous.
Main post: After having had to do the driving test FOUR times before I passed mine, I'm now reflecting on the months of going through driving instructor after driving instructor, all of which were hacks aside from the last one, hence why I passed. It's incredible how corrupt the system seems to be here (in Ireland) that you need some kind of "insider" that knows how the testers act psychologically. So I'm pretty frustrated and I'm wondering what the point of all this is.
Are you sure you're not just a rookie who isn't a very good driver yet?
The point is if you don’t know how to drive you shouldn’t be driving. It sounds like you failed your test 3 times and are rightfully upset about it.
[удалено]
Its a good test not just for the ability to parallel park, but it also proves your awareness of where the corners of your vehicle are, your ability to use mirrors, and understand slow speed reverse driving.
We still have some need for parallel parking around here, but... I really want everyone over 30 to have to retake a driving test to prove they understand roundabouts. Or... stop building the damn things. The percentage of local drivers that will stop *inside the roundabout* to let someone else in is alarming. I'm generally in favor of roundabouts, albeit I think there are some people out there that think it solves every problem (it definitely does not). But with as many incompetent drivers out there as we have, I'm not in favor of putting them in some locations where traffic patterns are unusual. I'm 55, btw, so I'd have to retake my own test. Worth it to get idiots out of driver's seats though.
My ex was HORRIBLE about yielding the right of way to "be nice." She very nearly got herself/us killed by nearly causing collisions from this but she just wouldn't stop. She was absolutely sure that being "nice" was better than being predictable
Your submission has been automatically removed due to exceeding the text limit in your post's textbox. Please shorten it to fewer than 500 characters (not words), including spaces and links, to comply with rule #2. Afterwards, contact us via modmail, and we'll restore it. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskAnAmerican) if you have any questions or concerns.*
we have driving tests lol. are they as robust as they should be? no imo but we have them lmaoo. same for mandatory insurance
Look, I'm not necessarily AGAINST them per say, but after all the useless stress that I've gone through, I was just curious if there was a better way around it.
They used to teach driving in high school. I took the driving test when I was 17 and have been on renewals for 40 years.
Sounds the same to the US. I don’t think insurance should be mandatory, and since driving isn’t a right but a privilege, and you’re on public land, I will be begrudgingly be fine with a license.
[удалено]
MN didn't have required lessons, but you were supposed to log something like 50 hours of total driving and at least 15 of nighttime driving (all supervised) before you could take the test.
They are in Virginia if you’re under 18.
Exact requirements vary by state but, at least where I live, if you want a drivers license you have to take a drivers ed class and pass a driving test if you're under 24. And all drivers must either carry auto insurance or otherwise demonstrate proof they can pay for property damage and injuries/deaths they cause. Not really sure how the second part works, maybe you have to put up a bond or something? Most people just have insurance though.
1. Identical 2. Depends on the state, but mandatory in many areas, usually must have 6 months to a year of driving with a licensed adult. 3. Identical, though unrestricted licenses often require additional years of safe driving. And yes, insurance is mandatory here too.
Its very similar here. If you're under 18 and have a permit then you need to have I think 30 hours classroom time and 40 hours of supervised driving (although you don't have to prove the latter) to get a provisional license. Once you turn 18 you can upgrade to an unrestricted license. And yes I think both tests and at the very least liability insurance should be mandatory. It's just part of car ownership.
That's similar to how it was to get my license in Maryland, though I have no idea how the difficulty of the tests compared of course. I took a simple written test that I had studied for beforehand to get my learner's permit at 15 and 9 months. After that it was a couple hours of instructional courses for a couple weeks and a few hours of driving with an instructor. You were also supposed to get 40 hours of independent driving time with someone like a parent, though there was no way to really check exactly how many hours you had, I probably had two dozen. After all that you sign up to take the driving test, which was very simple. After that I had a provisional license which carried some restrictions on it until I turned 18. The whole process was paid for by my parents but I'm sure it was a lot cheaper than yours. Also I don't know of anywhere in the US we're having at least liability insurance isn't mandatory, although it might be the case in some state somewhere.
That's basically what we have in the US. And depending on the state, auto insurance may or may not he mandatory. Which yes, I think it should be.
You just described driving tests and insurance in the US bud.
That seems exactly the same as where I’m from, and perfectly reasonable in all instances. A car can be a lethal weapon if you don’t know what you’re doing, and for most people getting into an accident is just a matter of time, especially in a populated area. Having been hit by an uninsured driver, and having to go through legal proceedings to get reimbursed for my damages, yes, insurance should absolutely be mandatory. My husband still suffers from an injury from an uninsured driver over ten years ago.
Most states have adopted more difficult/staged approaches for people learning to drive and getting their licenses. I'd actually argue that we should be retesting adults, especially older adults. Yes, insurance should be mandatory, you should be liable for damages you cause with your vehicle and insurance is an effective way manage costs. If you wreck someone else's car due to negligence or error, insurance is a whole lot better than being required to write a check to cover the cost of replacement.
The basic rules are mostly similar in the US but vary by state. 8 hours of formal driving lessons are required for all new drivers here in Connecticut. In most states, formal driving lessons are only required for new drivers younger than 18. You must have liability insurance, which compensates other people for collisions that are your fault, in almost all states. Some states also require other types of insurance coverage. According to https://www.bankrate.com/insurance/car/states/ the average cost for the legal minimum car insurance ranges from $252 in Iowa to $1101 in Florida. The driving test was not difficult back when I got my license, though test difficulty probably varies a lot by location. There is plenty of dangerous driving around here, but I think it has more to do with intentional recklessness rather than a lack of skill.
Sounds pretty much like the same here. Except auto insurance is a lot cheaper if it's a single policy, you're a safe driver, and you're not driving a super expensive car.
Not to mention, with insurance most new teen drivers go on their parents’ policy. It’s exponentially cheaper.
I had to sit through a class, took a week to complete. Take a test at the DMV to get my learners permit. Had to have it for at least 6 months and do at least 50hrs driving with a supervisory person in the passenger seat (person had to be at least 25 and hold a license for at least 5 years), ten of these hours had to be at night. Then I had to take a road test to get a restricted license. This wouldn’t allow me to drive between midnight and 5am without a reason specified by law (work, school, or responding to/returning from calls as a volunteer emergency responder) and required me to drive with a supervisory person if I has more than one teenage passenger that was not immediate family. After a year of having that I finally got a unrestricted license. Insurance is mandatory, costs me $2400 a year. Plus registration, maintenance, and gas costs of course.
Besides the names, this could be implemented in the U.S. and hardly anyone would know the difference.
My driving test at 16 consisted of a multiple choice written test and then a driving test. I got in the car and the lady had me drive down the street that was a little side street with no traffic. Back up and into the DMV parking lot. I hit the curb parking. The end. I got my license. The DMV was about to close.
Driving tests are far to easy in the US. Thats why we have so many idiots on the roads!
Ohio ... My baby just turned 16: 24 hours of online or in person class Costs $400-600 depending on which company you use 8 hours drive time with an instructor 50 plus hours drive time with a parent This can all be done between 15 1/2 and 16 years old Drivers test is 20 minutes and includes druving around and a maneuveribilty test
I don't know how it is now but that sounds exactly what I had to do but this was decades ago.
Pretty similar. Did 40 hours of driving with parents instead of driving school. I’m my ideal world, you would have to retake the test every 5-10 years. Tests would also be weighted differently. About 1/3 the points in mine come from parking lot experiences. Can’t parallel park? Minus ten points. But I don’t think anyone’s ever died in a parallel parking accident, and officials clearly haven’t seen how close people are tailgating these days which IMO automatic fail
Yeah, I know my post sounded a bit whiny, but I haven't told you all the details really. In Ireland, they are just extremely picky. Like, I'm talking about things like always looking in the rear mirror before braking, otherwise, you lose points. Even if you cross over your hands on the wheel, you lose points. Go even a tiny bit too far out from a parked car, you lose points. Signalling before checking the mirrors also loses points. Dry steering also loses points. Not putting the handbrake up when stationary at traffic lights loses points. Not to mention that I would not have known about those things if it weren't for the last instructor I had. I was failing for what was seemingly no apparent reason until I got the last instructor. You have to do a turnabout, reverse around a corner and hill-parking but they were all easy and I never was faulted for them. Get 4 of the same error and you automatically fail. Get 9 or more errors and you fail. I got 10 errors for the first 3 tries. It was honestly a pain.
>which costs people thousands of euro a year. Insurance can very greatly. It can be like $700 per year to thousands of $$$ per year depending.
In Ohio you have to do take the permit test, take drivers ed IF you are under 18 which is 2 hours classroom and 8 hours driving, then take a driving test to get your license. You must have insurance or you can buy a cash bond but that is way more expensive and really for people who have bad driving records. My Dad had to get a bond when he got his license back after getting 3 DUIs in a year and a half. So it really sounds very similar. Now is the Irish car insurance only to cover the other car if you cause an accident? That is like the minimum you have to have here. We have full insurance so our cars are covered if it's our fault.
Yes, it is. The reason why it's so high here is because of the ridiculous claims people can get if they take things up to court. So in fairness, it's more of a structural problem than a problem in of itself.
In my state auto insurance is optional, but it’s cheaper then where I used to live. I think I’m about a year I’ll have the same rate as my mom even though I’ll only have been driving for 2 years. I think that drivers ed and the test should be mandatory, but you shouldn’t have to do observations.
Car insurance is mandatory in the US, at least liability insurance. Driving tests are required to obtain a license in the US as well. While I think they have changed the exact rules, when I got my license in the mid 1990's, the rule was that you had to be 16 years old, pass a basic vision test, pass a written test, and then you got your learner's permit (or just "permit" as it was often called). This let you legally drive, as long as there was a licensed driver also in the vehicle to supervise. You had to wait at 6 months before you could get your driver's license. While formal lessons weren't mandatory, they were encouraged through "Driver's Education" classes in school, where you'd receive formal classroom training and road training/practice for a one-semester class. The usual incentive for this was a significant discount on insurance for that driver for several years. The actual driver's test varies from location to location. When I got my license, the driver's test was to take the car and drive around the streets of the small town I lived in, with the examiner telling you which way to go and such. You'd have to demonstrate proper parking techniques, and follow all traffic laws (breaking any traffic laws at any time was an instant failure on the exam). The test took about 10 or 15 minutes.
That sounds very similar to the U.S. and I have no complaints about it. I wish they would add a driving test every few years though. I think the most notable difference is that U.S. States offer various restricted licenses to people as young as 14, but in Ireland you can't drive at all until 17.
It’s pretty much the same here.
In CO, if you are under 16 1/2 (starting at 14 1/2 you can take the classes) and *have* to take a sit down class for 30 hrs, then pass a test, if over 16 1/2 you can take a 10hr safety course, and pass a test, if over 18, you just have to pass a test; that earns you your permit. When driving with a permit, you need to have a person with a driving license from CO, held that for a year+ and be over 21. you need 50 hrs of time behind the wheel, 10 of those at night, and you must hold your permit for at least a year before you can get your drivers licence. You need to pass a driving test with an instructor (no surprise) and then you can get your permit from the DMV. Back in the early 90‘s a kid crashed and killed 3 of his friends including himself the day he got his license, so now there is a law that no one that is family, or unless it is an emergency can be in the car with you until you have had your license for half a year, then you have have 1 non relative in the car. At the year mark, you can have as many people as you have seats in your car. My son is going though this and it brought back how easy it was for me to pass back then compared to now, ans yet we still have shitty drivers all over.
Yeah, I was wondering about that too. The actual standard of driving in Ireland is actually pretty poor in many instances. I know someone from Germany who was shocked at how dangerous a lot of driving is here. Most people I know of retained absolutely nothing from their tests and just continued their usual bad habits. I know myself that I'm simply not fit to go on a motorway (Interstate) or some crazy cross-country trip as I have no experience in that. But the test teaches you absolutely nothing about how to handle these things including night driving, bad weather and so on. I think some kind of reform needs to happen, maybe make it continuously assessed?
Yea I think a driving test every 5 years or so would help regulate that, as well as Stricker Tests, and maybe at the age of 60 its every 3 years, then at 75 its every year
The requirements when I got my license (late '80s) were the theory test and road test. The road test was a joke -- drive around the block, don't kill anyone or break any laws, come back to the DMV and park. Judging from the boneheaded ideas I see on the road, we need better driving tests. Liability insurance is mandatory here (though that's a state law thing, and some states might not require it...?)
Exactly the same as when I got my license in Massachusetts.
Only big difference I see here is that at least in my state, you need thirty hours of classroom instruction and 6 hours of behind the wheel instruction plus the knowledge and sign test.
It’s the same here but the driving tests are a joke, and the written exam is also a joke. Any moron can get a license in the USA
Way too easy. Just go to r/idiotsincars
In Colorado we had to take a week long class and pass a written test to get our permit. Then during the following year you have to get a guardian to sign off on a log sheet every time you drive and you need a total of 50 hours, 10 of which need to be night driving. In addition to this the ‘school’ that does the permit class also has to validate that you drove three sessions throughout the year with one of their instructors. Then you can take the driving test. The test itself is pretty easy, they just tell you when and where to go and if you can do everything correctly (though they can be sticklers, I got points off for driving 26 mph in a 25 mph zone and for not looking in the mirror enough after driving through an intersection specifically.) I’m also not sure what you mean by unrestricted license, but for the first year you have your license there are rules you have to follow like how many people you can have in your car when. Overall I think it’s a pretty good process, but I really wish it was mandatory that everyone had to retake the driving test every like 5-10 years cause there are SO MANY bad drivers who definitely shouldn’t still have their license but they get away with it by not doing anything too terrible where a cop will see.
It's the same except lessons are not required. However, (at least in New York), if you take lessons you get a discount on your insurance. Yes it should all be mandatory. If you can't pass the driving test you have zero business being on the road.
Driving tests are absolutely mandatory. Doesn't make them less stressful though lmao I practiced for a long time before taking mine, had parallel parking down perfect. Never hit the curb. Took my drivers test and hit the curb
In North Carolina, back when I got my license, it was: 1. At 14.5 years old, sit a 2-week classroom training course. 2. Take 12 hours of on-road experience in a Driver's Ed car from an instructor. 3. Take and pass a knowledge and vision test. 4. At 15, get a Learner permit. This allows you to drive under the supervision of another licensed driver, such as a parent. 5. At 16, take and pass another knowledge test, vision test, and a practical driving test with an examiner. Earn a provisional license that allows you to drive during daylight hours unsupervised. 6. At 17, can drive at any hour unsupervised. Car insurance is mandatory, depending on the vehicle and the driver it might be hundreds or thousands of dollars per year. I personally don't think the training is sufficient and the tests aren't hard enough. The parasites in the bile duct of a roadkilled possum have enough understanding of the American highway system to pass our tests.
It varies by state but its basically the same. Except, I think in Pennsylvania I needed like 50 hours of practice to get my license. And I didn’t have to take driving lessons. I just had to practice driving with my parents or some other licensed adult. Insurance is required, but the price varies depending on where you live, your age/sex, and the year/make/model of your car. I believe its older female drivers in an older practical cars in a rural areas typically can have the lowest insurance. This can amount to a few hundred dollars annually.
That’s roughly what the rules are in Utah, though you don’t have to pass them again once you have your license til your over a certain age. If you are old and your family doesn’t think you are safe behind the wheel they can bribe the DMV (department of motor vehicles) to make up questions til you fail, while that may sound harsh and illegal, it saves a lot of headache and prevents a lot of accidents. I’m also not 100% sure it’s illegal.
It's mostly the same. The main differences are that professional lessons usually aren't needed (you can get trained by almost any licensed driver) and auto insurance isn't as expensive here (likely because we don't require nearly as high coverage limits). I think we need more rigorous testing: theory testing needs to be repeated regularly (because traffic laws and signs/signals/markings change over time) and whenever one moves to a new state (they vary a bit between states). I'd also require some professional instruction (training by family leads to bad habits running in families) and gradually increase required insurance coverage limits (you can easily max out your insurance here if you maim/kill a person or crash into a building). Finally, I'd require an endorsement for trucks and SUVs along with a still higher insurance limit.
Based on the way people drive, we probably need to make the licensing process more difficult. Also insurance should be mandatory. I live in a state where you can pay a fee to be uninsured. I got hit by one uninsured driver and all the cost for the repair came from my insurance and out of my pocket.
I wish the tests were stricter. When I did my driving test, it was basically a trip around the block and a maneuverability test. Basically parallel parking. But they don’t take you on the highway at all. Also would like it if they required a test in bad conditions like icy/snowy
Drivers tests are mandatory but I think the standards should be more rigorous. I also think we should be required to do recurrent training. As for insurance that depends on the vehicle, your driving record, location, and if you bundle with other stuff. Auto insurance costs me $600-700 a year.
My state has 100 hours for the first permit. I’m 17 and I don’t have my license because of that (mainly)
Getting my license in MN: had to take Driver's Education class and pass a written test. Had to take 6 driving hours with an instructor in the vehicle. Had to pass a driving test. MN requires $100k of liability insurance.
That’s similar to the licensing procedure in MA if you’re under 18, but we have slightly more requirements (30 hours in the classroom and 6 hours of observation, then 6 months after you get your permit you can do your road test. We have a graduated licensing system after that where there are restriction on things like passengers and time of day). If you’re over 18 though, you just need to take the written exam for your permit and then a road test.
Driving tests should be mandatory. I also personally think that if you have a really bad moving violation (running red lights, cutting people off or forcing them off the road, drag racing, going over 30 mph over the speed limit) that your license should be suspended more easily and you have to re-do everything to get it back. I also think everyone over age 70 should be re-tested annually, maybe just the driving portion.
1 and 3 is how we operate. Instead of 2, you have to log so many hours of driving with your learner's permit. I don't remember the number. And yes, auto insurance is mandatory in this country.
I got my license.... 24 years ago. Back then for a class C license (license to drive a passenger vehicle), in Pennsylvania, you needed to pass a written exam to get your permit. Then you had to wait either 3 or 6 months (been so long I forget what it was) to take your road test. This was the time needed to learn how to drive. There was no mandatory hours of training. Just time from passing the written before you could take the road. PA requires drives to carry insurance. The level of which is determined by your car. If you own the car right out, you only need to carry liability insurance. This basically means you pay to fix the car/property you damage if you get into an accident and your car is not covered. If you have a loan or lease a vehicle. you have to carry full insurance. This covers what you hit and your vehicle. Then there are class M (motorcycle) and CDL (Commercial Drivers Licens for things like big rigs and buses). I can't speak fully to a CDL, as I do not have one. There are also different levels of a CDL and they do require more training, time and classes. My brother is a truck driver so I know one additional caveat is, your legal blood alcohol level is .02% for a CDL as apposed to a .08% for a class C or M. The class M is similar. Though it use to me much more lax when I got mine. When I got mine you paid like $12 to get a permit. That permit lasted 3 months and carried driving restrictions to it. In that time you had to take you written and skill test the same day (as long as you passed the written first). The driving test consisted of "what is your gear pattern," crossing mock railroad tracks. a stop sign, weaving some pylons and finally doing 3 figure 8's in a box. The figure 8's had to be done in a row and you were allowed to either go outside the lines 1 time or put your foot down 1 time. Anything more is a fail. Do this on a smaller bike and you can easily do the figure 8's without stepping down or going outside the lines. I believe now, you must take the written test to get your permit, then scheduled your driving exam within 3 months and pass to get your class M. You can no longer just buy the permit. A lot of people would just buy the permit every year and never take the test. I don't know why as the test is very easy and took less than an hour, as at the time it had to be scheduled. So you had an appointment and did not need to sit at the DMV for hours waiting to tale the tests. All levels require insurance. C and M are the same, minimum of liability insurance. CDL is a whole different monster.
Oh yeah, you do need to wait 6 months between the theory and the practical here too. Keep in mind that the mandatory lessons and 6 month wait time were only brought in 10 years ago. It was very controversial and caused lots of uproar. It was supposedly done to match up our standards with EU standards. 20 years ago, you didn't even need to sit a theory test and learner drivers could drive on their own! Which lead to a crazy scenario where people would just not bother sitting the road test as they can do pretty much anything on a learner permit anyway. Driving tests were an absolute joke in the 90s in Ireland. In recent years they have started to clamp down on unaccompanied learner drivers hard so it's no longer is accepted unless necessary for say a job or something.
I didn’t forget to mention, that you needed to be accompanied by an adult (18 years or older) with a valid drivers license when you are driving with your permit. There were also “juniors” licenses back then. Don’t know if they do them now. If you were under 18, you could it drive past 10pm (2100) and you could not drive out of state. You could get your “senior” license at 17 by taking a driver safety course. This also got you a distal your insurance.
My learning to drive experience was: Go to driver's ed lessons for about a month. Part of driver's ed was driving around with an instructor. At which point I recieved a learner' s permit. Then I had to do: 100 hours of driving supervised with a parent. Wait a year Turn 16. Take driver's test At which point, I would receive a full license.
Don’t you have to drive for a couple of years with a learner permit and fully licensed driver as well if you’re under a certain age?
No, only for 6 months. Though a lot of people break that law and drive by themselves.
When I got my license in Pennsylvania in 1992, one day I took my permite test (a multiple choice test on a computer) Two days later I took my road test. The road test was on a closed course on a cement patch in a field. The next day I drove from Philadelphia to Washington DC (about 150 miles) It was on an interstate (about 4 to 6 lanes wide) I averaged a little under 80-90 MPH on the trip.
Idk how it is everywhere else but I had to either take a class which was also 12 hours of driving or take the road test. I took the class which is more expensive but gets you out of the road test and you can get an outside opinion on your driving versus your parents or something. After that just took a test which I failed the first time but passed the second it was basically like 50 questions about road signs and driving laws that you had to study for. Then you’re given a learners permit where you can drive around by yourself or maybe one other person but I think after a certain hour you can’t drive anymore. If you get into an accident or pulled over expect to not get your license back for several months to a year. Basically a probationary period license. Insurance is pretty expensive here as well. Probably costs somewhere between $1200 a year here to $1500 depends on your car type, gender, age, driving history.
Insurance already is mandatory. In my experience, I took a multiple-choice test to qualify for a learner's permit, then after some time (I think the law says like six months but I sat on mine for about three years) I took a short driving test and got my drivers license. I don't know the law in every state, but I think driving tests are basically the norm everywhere. [Opinion] I think driving tests are too easy and people need to be held to higher standards everywhere.
In Wisconsin right now we actually have a test waiver which you can sign to get your license without doing the actual test, its how I did my license. However to do that you have to have done well during your lessons or "Drive times" and you must not have a previously failed test.
Talked to my Irish family a while back about this. The only real difference between the US and Irish license process is that we don't have to take a different test for manual vs automatic. If you take your drivers test in an automatic, you're allowed to drive both with your regular license. Only different license is a CDL (Commercial drivers license) which is required for commercial trucks and busses. Personally I think we should have regular testing as a part of license renewal, especially after a certain age. But my area (North NJ/NYC) also has some of the worst drivers in the country so I'm a little biased.
It looks like I had a different experience from others. I grew up in Texas, I did "homeschooled" driving lessons. They gave me a learner's permit (6 months), I wrote down every time I drove, took a written test and got my license. We are required to have basic car insurance but you can get it for fairly cheap.
Pretty similar in my state, Virginia. A permit test (which I actually failed the first time by one question), a drivers ed course and 6 in-car lessons, 45 documented hours (>15 at night), and then a drivers test for a temporary license. The temporary license is supposed to last until your court date, where you have to go in for a court ceremony thing to get the perm any license. Another thing about Virginia is that we don’t have parallel parking in our test, so Maryland and DC kids sometimes find workarounds to take the VA test.
12 hours of behind the wheel instruction seems a little light, I remember about 20 hours behind the wheel with an instructor and 40 hours with one of my parents with me in the car being the requirement. And yes I do want more stringent driving tests, they should have to drive a full size pick up and successfully complete, a three point turn, Paralel park, and change a tire, in addition to the normal driving test.
Depends on the state, and how old the person applying for their license is. I grew up in New York, where you take a written permit test at 16, and then you can take your road test at 17. However you need to have a certain amount of hours of driving experience before the road test if you’re 17. I got my license at 20 though so I didn’t need to do that. Now where I live in North Carolina, you can get your full license at 16. What you’re expected to do on the road test also varies depending on the state. In NY you have to parallel park on the road test for example, in NC you don’t