Driver Licensing not about highway safety

proffsl wrote:


and let others know that the people with the licenses
had to provide some proof that they were somewhat
competent to drive motor vehicles.

We do not OWE it to the public to prove we are unlikely to endanger
others before being allowed to exercise something that is our Right.


There is no right to drive a motor vehicle on a public road. It is a
privilege.

Driver licensing does nothing for highway safety that laws against
endangerment didn't already serve.

You can repeat that mantra until the cows come home, but it won't make it
true. The fact is that licensing does make the roads safer.

Virtually everybody who tries, successfully gets a driver license.

Most of those who fail eventually get one, sometimes after a number of road
tests. They learn from their mistakes and improve their driving skills to
the point where they can pass. The requirements for a licence vary from
one place to another. Most people who pass a driver licence road test in
North America would likely not meet the strict standards of some European
countries.

Those who end up taking it twice,
usually falied their first attempt not because of an inability to
drive safely, but rather due to confusing questions.

Oh yeah... trick questions..... At the next intersection turn left. At the
next intersection turn right. At the next intersection follow the signs.



Virtually everybody over the age of 12 CAN drive a car safely. The question is
WILL they drive safely, and driver licensing CAN NOT answer that question.

Demonstrating ability and compliance for a test is obviously not a
guarantee that they will drive safely later on. Most of the scariest road
tests I took out were the senior drivers who had acquired 50 years or more
of bad habits.