Why Can Americans Get a Driver's License at a Young Age?

16 years old: this is the age American people get a driver’s license. I was surprised when I heard that. In Japan, we can get a driver’s license when we turn 18 years old. I think it’s a big difference. I went to St. Georges high school recently. I talked to one of the students who is 17 years old. She said, “I drive my car to go to school.” I know Americans can drive at 16 years old, but I think it’s too young.

I have a driver’s license. I got it as soon as I turned 18 years old. It took three months to get it. How about in America? I searched on the internet. The rules are different to get a driver’s license for each state. I live in Washington State, so I looked at that homepage. At first, American people have to pass a knowledge test, and they practice driving with someone, then they have to pass a driving test. Therefore, getting a driver’s license is similar to Japan. I asked my RA, Sabrina, my question and she said, “We can work at 16 years old, so I don’t think it’s too young. We drive a car to go to our workplace. In Spokane, public transportation is not good, so we need a car.” I agree with her. America is so big, American people need cars to go anywhere, except in big cities such as Seattle, New York, and so on. In Japan, there are shops and schools close to our house in most of the towns, and we have good public transportation. We use bicycles for transportation more than Americans do. It’s good for the environment also. Moreover, Americans think it’s important to be independent from their parents at a young age, so they want to get a driver’s license when they are young.

I didn’t know rules are different in each state. Japan is the same in all prefectures. I thought driving at 16 years old was too early, but I changed my mind. Actually, we can work at 16 years old too, so it’s the same thing. If we don’t have good public transportation, we have to get a driver’s license. It’s useful for going anywhere.