Teen Driving (Issues That Concern You) - PDF
نویسندگان: Linda Aksomitis
خلاصه: In the case of Robertson v. the Department of Public Works, JusticeTolman of the Washington State Supreme Court stated that:Complete freedom of the highways is so old and well establisheda blessing that we have forgotten the days of the Robber Baronsand toll roads, and yet, under an act like this [regarding a lackof jurisdiction in a case on driving without a license], arbitrarilyadministered, the highways may be completely monopolized;if, through lack of interest, the people submit, then they maylook to see the most sacred of their liberties taken from themone by one, by more or less rapid encroachment.The question remains, though: Is driving a right or a privi-lege? Nina A. of Byron Center, Michigan, published an articleon teenink.com describing the day she decided it was indeed aprivilege. While driving her little blue Geo Tracker early onemorning, struggling to stay awake, she ran a red light and causedan accident. She wrote, “Nothing is more important than hav-ing enough sleep to drive safely and keep myself and others safe(and possibly even alive). These are all reminders of just how biga privilege driving really is.”If driving were considered a right, instead of a privilege, shouldanyone be able to just hop into a vehicle—car, truck, tractortrailer—and hit the interstate? What of learning the traffic lawsfirst and passing a driver’s license test? Should people have tostudy driving laws in advance, or will they automatically figureout how it all works when they jump behind the wheel of a 4,000-pound car or an 80,000-pound 18-wheeler? What happens if theydo not figure it out quickly enough? Somebody dies.