The Optimist

Maria Behringer

Staff Writer

High school is like a new step in your life. You are at a new school with new responsibilities and starting to make preparations for college. Along with these new responsibilities when you hit that lovely age of 16, a timer goes off in your brain that its time to get your drivers license.

According to the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) Driver’s Manual to be eligible for an operator’s license you must be at least 16 years old and 30 days once having a valid learners permit for 60 days and have completed a BMV approved driver’s ed class. If you haven’t completed an approved class, the applicant must be at least 16 years old and 180 days if they have held a valid learners permit for 60 days. These strict guide lines have been the same for more than 40 years but come next year it is changing for the better.

The Guided Driver’s License System (GDL) of Indiana recently sent out awareness that in July of 2010 new regulations toward 16 year olds receiving their license will change. In 1999, when Indiana adopted the GDL system the percentage of teens in fatal car crashes dropped 8 percent alone by switching to this new system. In some cases we think having half of a year is too long to wait to get your license because it could make it tempting for those impatient joy riders to take a spin in their parents’ car. Though making it nine months without driver’s ed, in my opinion, will draw more teens into taking the class to not only get their license sooner but with that, be more educated while on the road. Hopefully, the new changes will lower the percentage of teen deaths in car accidents which is the leading cause of death among teens in the US today.

The mandatory holding period of a learner’s permit is no less than six months and a minimum of 50 hours of driving time with a guardian or relative over 21, which includes 10 hours at night. Once that is all said and done to get your driver’s license the minimum age will change to 16 and six months, 16 and nine months without the completion of a driver’s ed class. Liliana Gonzalez, junior, agrees that with the nine months of waiting more teens will be influenced to take driver’s ed but won’t reach every in Indiana. Though Gonzalez agrees with that, she is affected by these changes and isn’t happy. “I’m just angry because I want to freaking drive already!” Since many of us already have our licenses we don’t have to really deal with that frustration and aren’t affected by the laws but Gonzales said, “I think they want to make Indiana safer because there are a lot of high school-ers… [also] to reduce accidents too.” Another student Alyssa Parker, sophomore, thinks by already having to wait until you’re 16 is enough time as it is and with practice they should be able to get their license right away. We think that’s a valid point because the limit is that you have to be 15 and 6 months to take driver’s ed in the first place so once that 3 week class is over you still have all that time until you turn 16, that is if you sign up for the class when you’re 15 and 6 months. Parker has completed the class and is glad she did. “I think they help teach you all the things you need to learn than when someone else tries to teach you…plus it helps when you learn to drive with someone experienced and with your peers.”

With the GLD revising their laws and restrictions we think the improvement in Indiana safety on the road will develop into a safer place for teens weither they want to wait 6 months for their license or not. Plus, you know what they say “practice makes perfect.”