Got my Licence.. Finally

[LegendBoy]

I am overjoyed that I can finally drive around.. One of best feelings. You guys remember when you's first got your drivers licence and meaning you could cruise on your own.

 

[DJ_in_making]

Not really b/c it came b4 the car. I'm not rich like you Legendboy . But when my insurance comes in for my car I'll know the feeling. Congratulations!

 

[LegendBoy]

What age do you get a licence where you can drive around on your own in America?

Here it is 17. I took so ****ing long to get it.

 

[The Forms]

The first time in your life you can drive around is some of the best times there are. After awhile it just becomes a part of your everyday life. But the time you have right now is empowering.

Congrats

 

[insanity]

i needed my license for a job i was applying for and i failed like 2 times and thought i was screwed. thank god for rich parents because my mother paid the guy and he accepted. 8 years later i still have a clean drivers abstract with no accidents. that was money well spent.

 

[DJ_in_making]

16 in some parts like Texas. And 18 in big cities like NY....

 

[LegendBoy]

Ye it feels great be able to cruise on my own. Much better then with my mum near me :rock: .

Does feel pretty empowering to be honest. I need to get a cd player speaks and subwoofers for ze car i get.. Looking forward to cruising.

 

[goldenrocker91]

im 15 man i cant wait till i caan drive

 

[Adone]

Man, I managed to get mine the very previous day you took yours! I had tried 2 times and unluck had me failing both times, but I finally managed to get it. I can't wait to buy a car and drive around with loud music on

Regarding the age issue, I've heard that in Colorado you can get your licence by the time you are 14, is it true?! Here in Italy, it's 18 and it also costs somewhere between 500$ and 1000$... Are prices that high in Australia and USA?

 

[TheNewGuy]

Man, I managed to get mine the very previous day you took yours! I had tried 2 times and unluck had me failing both times, but I finally managed to get it. I can't wait to buy a car and drive around with loud music on

Regarding the age issue, I've heard that in Colorado you can get your licence by the time you are 14, is it true?! Here in Italy, it's 18 and it also costs somewhere between 500$ and 1000$... Are prices that high in Australia and USA?

I paid about $700 for drivers education (helps on the insurance prices), then after car registration and all those nonsense fees were over I was another $300 in the hole.

This is USA.

 

[LegendBoy]

In Australia it cost 40 dollars per attempt at getting your licence I failed three times. Extremely strict here. I got it on 4th.. I got a few lessons which cost 50 dolllars each so all up. I spent 300 to get my licence.

In Australian you get your learners licence at age 16 years old meaning you need somone with a full licence in the passenger seat. Then at 17 you get your Red P's which is the licence I got. Meaning I can drive at 90km/h max(who obeys it) and I can drive with no mum near me :yes: . Then in 1 year you get your Green P's and then in 2 years full licence.

In Australia there is a point system on my licence I get three points. So if i speed about 10 over the speed limit I lose like 3 points there goes my licence.

The Road and Trafic authority in australia are money cows.

 

[Adone]

I paid about $700 for drivers education (helps on the insurance prices), then after car registration and all those nonsense fees were over I was another $300 in the hole.

This is USA.

Really? Some time ago I read that it usually costs less than 100$ in Texas to take a driver's licence... If I happen to find that site again, I'll post it here

 

[Abbott]

What age do you get a licence where you can drive around on your own in America?

Here it is 17. I took so ****ing long to get it.

It depends. Generally, in most places in the U.S., it's 16. I've heard though that it's 18 in PA (Pennsylvania). I've never heard of it being 18 in just the city of NY. In Chicago it's all about state law, which is 16 (though no doubt the insurance rates for 16 y/o Chicago drivers must be INSANE).

These age limits of course apply to (here in IL, anyway) Class D licenses, which means you can drive just about any car or "light truck." There are vehicles that it won't let you drive, but most people don't drive those vehicles. Such a license doesn't let you transport "hazardous materials," but how many people transport gasoline, liquid nitrogen, or radioactive materials?


As for costs, it depends. Here it's $20 for a standard Class D license for four years. The permits also costs, though I can't remember (it's been a few years for me). I also remember that my school also had a Driver's Ed program that cost like $50 (cheap!), while private instructors charged several hundred dollars.

The permit means you need a parent, legal guardian, driving instructor, and/or an approved adult (who's 21+ and 1yr+ exp.) to ride with you. I'm guessing the last part is to help out parents who can't, for whatever reason, drive.

After the license, no restrictions. However, things might have changed in the last few years since I got my original license.



Ben

 

[Adone]

It depends. Generally, in most places in the U.S., it's 16. I've heard though that it's 18 in PA (Pennsylvania). I've never heard of it being 18 in just the city of NY. In Chicago it's all about state law, which is 16 (though no doubt the insurance rates for 16 y/o Chicago drivers must be INSANE).

These age limits of course apply to (here in IL, anyway) Class D licenses, which means you can drive just about any car or "light truck." There are vehicles that it won't let you drive, but most people don't drive those vehicles. Such a license doesn't let you transport "hazardous materials," but how many people transport gasoline, liquid nitrogen, or radioactive materials?


As for costs, it depends. Here it's $20 for a standard Class D license for four years. The permits also costs, though I can't remember (it's been a few years for me). I also remember that my school also had a Driver's Ed program that cost like $50 (cheap!), while private instructors charged several hundred dollars.

The permit means you need a parent, legal guardian, driving instructor, and/or an approved adult (who's 21+ and 1yr+ exp.) to ride with you. I'm guessing the last part is to help out parents who can't, for whatever reason, drive.

After the license, no restrictions. However, things might have changed in the last few years since I got my original license.



Ben

In this same thread, another guy said that getting a license in America costs about 1000$, now you are saying it costs 50$. How come?

 

[Abbott]

In this same thread, another guy said that getting a license in America costs about 1000$, now you are saying it costs 50$. How come?

The reasons for this are easy to see. The $50 price I quoted was just for the class. There are other costs too, such as what needs to be paid to the state in fees (there's no U.S. driver's license, they're issued by states though it's good anywhere in the U.S.).

The $50 class was actually subsidized. I'm not sure who subsidized it, but some government organization. Without it, the class would cost much more, like $350. There was a concern recently that the subsidy would be dropped due to budget concerns, and if this happened students wouldn't be interested in taking the class in high school and instead use private driving schools. Without the subsidy, the class would cost $350. Since private driving schools charge like $400 or so, the concern is real since the private driving schools can offer better flexibility, and there's no financial incentive to do it through the high school.

It's possible that in other places, people aren't lucky enough to have the driving class subsidized. Heck, in some places driving might even be discouraged, though it's personally hard to picture. Around here anyway, owning a car is a defacto requirement. Public transit, while it exists, is lousy and anything but comprehensive. Plus there are many places here that are difficult to reach if you don't have a car.

Apparently, I got lucky and was able to take the class in high school for a low price. Also, because I had a summer birthday I had no incentive to take the class outside of school, so I could get my driver's license sooner (some people had to wait a little while after the legal minimum age, due to time commitments they might've had at the time).

Despite whatever it costs where you live, I believe that learning to drive is a skill everyone should have. You never know when you might need it. Even if you live in say, NYC where it's very possible to get through day-to-day life without driving, you might need to rent a car, drive a friend's car, whatever.

Plus if you live in an area where the driving age is less than 18 (most of the U.S., not sure about other countries), it'll be a big load off your parents' shoulders since they no longer need to drive you places.



Ben