License limit nonsensical
Chris G.
ed/op editor
Say you’re at a party, it’s lame, and you want out but it’s 1 a.m. In the past, anyone with a drivers license could just mosey on home to the peace and safety of their beds. That just changed.
A bill that recently passed through Minnesota Congress imposes restrictions on those with a provisional license who are now allowed no more than one non-family member in the car and would be prohibited on the roads from midnight to 5 a.m.
The law is in response to the fact that Minnesota is number one in teen crash mortality and that we are one of only four states that currently has no restrictions on those new behind the wheel.
As unjust as this bill may seem it does make some sense. If you’re still up at 3 a.m. you’re most likely disoriented and not in the best condition to drive. Adults may be able to keep their heads about them at this time of night but teens – well everything’s a bit woozy for me after I’ve been awake for 20 consecutive hours.
The passenger restrictions do have some basis as well, considering that everyone gets slightly distracted when talking. I mean what is more interesting, talking to your girlfriend or the yellow lines flowing by in an endless sequence? But are these restrictions realistic? Hardly.
Anyone considering this law should remember that we all learned to drive with a number of others in the car. Driving to church in the morning with my parents and brother arguing about this and that is quite a bit more than distracting. And backseat driving takes my mind off the road more than anything else. So is it really that different driving with a friend or two who will listen if you tell them to quiet down – unlike parents and siblings.
In addition, new drivers may or may not consider these restrictions.
The past law noted that the maximum punishment for a violation of provisional license laws (everyone under 18 had to wear a seatbelt) was a $25 fine. Furthermore, the incident was not allowed to be cited on a driving record.
If the new law is this lax on retribution, no one is going to fear those “flashing lights on the black and whites” at all. And honestly, why is it up to the state to decide on restrictions that parents and teens should make together? Only parents know how mature their kids are. While they may or may not agree with the teen’s view of themselves, parents will act on what they think is best for their individual child and set appropriate limits.
In any case, the final call will be made by a teenager behind the wheel of a car; not by the state, not by parents, but by a kid who will find out by themselves, for better or for worse, what boundaries are needed.