My brother got his learner's permit today. He is now legally allowed to be behind the wheel of a car on the road with everyone else, as long as a licensed driver is in the vehicle with him. I'm finding this a little hard to believe.
Until today, I didn't know what it took to get a permit. I thought you had to have gone through driver's ed, and a whole tone of other stuff. Apparently not. He needed some papers, and to take a 20 question test. He got the first 17 right before they cut him off and handed him his permit.
My brother has NEVER been behind the wheel of a car. He's never practiced in empty parking lots. He's never learned how to maintain a certain speed, and he's never had to steer anything other than farm equipment, which he's oftentimes not so good at. And he's allowed behind the wheel of a car. On the road. He hardly knows how to turn the thing on.
The fact that you don't need any sort of experience behind the wheel of a car with an instructor to get your permit is a little disturbing to me. It can't be safe. And I'm surprised it's legal. I feel like there should be more regulations, more experience on a nice safe course full of traffic cones with an instructor before anyone is allowed to actually go out on the road.
I don't know about other states, but here in mine, I'm starting to wonder if maybe there's a reason so many kids with permits hit parked cars and light posts...
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The permit is what will allow him to practice. Ideally, your parents will take him out to parking lots, and then driving during low-traffic times on the road so he will gain experience. This means he will have experience to take the practical portion of his drivers license test.
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/tricia0711
I understand that. I just feel like there should be practice in empty parking lots and all BEFORE being allowed on the roads. My parents can't take him to practice because we're always too busy, and my dad, who's supposed to be the one taking him to practice, is home one day a week. He'll be out on the road with the instructor before my dad gets around to it.
And that's comin' at ya' from yer local redneck hippie.
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The Story of Myself