Many people do not go for their license right at 16. Some parents are not comfortable with their children driving at that age. I received my N at 19. I am 22 now. None of my friends drive (some of them being close to 30). I have broken the rule of driving with more than one passenger but that was only as a designated driver, because my friends had no other way of getting home (and had no money for cabs, which would be ridiculously expensive considering most of them live way out in the middle of nowhere). Even if the driver has their N I think the one passenger rule should not apply to designated drivers. Because I am not some irresponsible 16 year old, and I am not going to leave my friends behind.
Are licensing systems biased against poor?
By: Kareem D. Sadiq
Date: Friday, 02. November 2007
This study was entitled: "The erfahrung of adult novice drivers," and the following abstract provides a summary. The research was conducted on behalf of the Strategic Research and Monitoring of Research in Transportation (SMART) Programme of the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia. Kareem D. Sadiq is a Ph.D. candidate at York University's Department of Geography in Toronto, Canada. He can be reached through his web site.
This paper presents an exploratory study of an often ignored population of drivers: adult novices. The goal of this paper is to provide a better understanding of the 'Erfahrung,' or everyday driving experiences of adult novice Class 7 drivers in the intermediate stage of B.C.'s graduated licensing program (GLP). B.C.'s GLP is designed to decrease the crash rate of new drivers by reducing their exposure to risk as they gain driving experience. 40 participants aged 25 to 35 (25 women and 15 men) were interviewed for the study. Several key questions are addressed: 1) Why do adult novices delay licensure until adulthood? 2) What are the routine driving experiences of adult novice drivers? 3) How do adult novices describe their driving behaviour? 4) How do adult novices compare the driving behaviour of older and younger drivers? 5) How do adult novice drivers identify and account for risk-taking behaviour? 6) What are the attitudes of adult novice drivers towards B.C.'s GLP?
The findings indicate that there are significant differences in the driving experiences of frequent and occasional drivers. Frequent drivers are employed, college educated, own or co-own a vehicle, and drive routinely. Occasional drivers are largely recent immigrants who are unemployed, lack a formal education, do not own a car, and experience difficulties accessing a vehicle to obtain driving experience. Occasional drivers therefore experience difficulties exiting the GLP in a timely fashion. Furthermore, occasional drivers may be denied certain employment because of their status as novice drivers in B.C.'s GLP. The only significant gender difference between men and women concerns married immigrant women who assumed more responsibility for childcare duties after licensure. The participants identified several driving behaviours as risky, and also disclosed taking risks in the course of driving. The participants rationalised their risk-taking behaviour as appropriate to particular driving conditions and circumstances.
Recommendations concerning the licensure of adult novices are provided as follows: 1) The social costs of crash involvement of adult novices, particularly occasional drivers, must be compared against the social costs of unemployment, especially where novice licensure acts as an impediment to securing work. 2) B.C.'s GLP should be restructured to better facilitate licensure for all adult novices over 25. 3) Participant observation studies of adult novices' on-road driving behaviour should be conducted to accurately ascertain the types of risks they take in the course of everyday driving.
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Melody,
