Quote:
Originally Posted by troutman
Project Calgary: Driving losing lure for teens in province
http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/Pr...197/story.html
Alberta Transportation figures show there were actually fewer young drivers aged 16 to 17 in the province in 2010 (58,682) than there were in 2001 (60,663), even as the number of 16-to 20-yearolds in the province grew by more than 22,000 over that period.
As well, the percentage of Albertans aged 16 to 20 with a driver's licence declined over the past decade - 72 per cent in 2010 compared to 78 per cent in 2001.
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Some of the issue is the licensing method.
When I was teen, you went and got your learner's license. Your Dad taught you to drive for two years, then you went and got your driver's license. It was a rite of passage. You learned how to change the oil, how to change the spare, how to drive a standard, how to love the feel of the wheel and you got to spend time with your Dad.
Things changed and pretty soon, it was very difficult to pass the drivers exam and car insurance costs sky rocketed without driver training. Dad's involvement was greatly reduced and along with that, all the rewards he brought to the table. It became a necessary task with a lot less fun involved.
Now, kids don't have the patience for it. They might go and get their learners license, and they'll probably take their driver training. At 16, they'll even go and get their probationary license, but they'll quit there. It's another 2 years for them to get their Class 5. And it's another exam and it's more money for them to complete their GDL. We live in an environment designed for immediate gratification and this type of licensing doesn't offer that.
With age/experience restrictions now, a person can't even get their Class 5 until they're 18. There are a lot of things on the go at this age and maybe the third stage gets shuffled to the back of the line. By this time, Dad's busting his hump to help with living expenses or secondary education expenses and the kid doesn't even live at home anymore. If the love of driving hasn't been passed along at this point, it's not going to happen.
To be clear, I'm not against the GDL. There are too many bad drivers on the road as it is. (Although, often the training and the exams are designed to either pass or fail, not demonstrate consideration, patience, and thinking on your feet.) It just seems to me that driving has become a chore in all aspects, from getting your license to your daily commute.