EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. — It's been about a month since Lucas Kitt, a junior at East Stroudsburg High School South, got his license. He went through the school's driver's ed program, which requires you to be 16 years old, the legal age to drive in Pennsylvania.
But two state lawmakers want to change that and lower it to 15 years old.
"Anything younger is a little bit too young. It's been my experience that this is a pretty good age. It all depends too. You can have a 16-and-a-half-year-old student driver who's very mature and can handle everything out on the road, and you can have students who may not be as mature to go on the road," said Gabriel Flintosh, a driver's ed training instructor at the high school with 23 years of experience.
Flintosh disagrees with the lawmakers who say lowering the driving age would make it easier for young people to get jobs.
"I understand about getting a job. I have three teenage children at home myself. I mean, for how many years now 14 and 15 year olds have been getting rides to jobs and things like that? I think it should remain like that. I don't think it should be lower for that reason," Flintosh said.
We spoke with 16-year-old students who said they wouldn't have been ready at 15 years old to get behind the wheel.
"I would have been able to learn, but I don't think I was comfortable. I was barely ready at 16, I feel like. So, 15 may be a challenge," said high school senior Haden Williams.
"I didn't get my permit until I was 16, and I didn't really know much about driving when I was 15, and I was scared to drive when I was 15, and I didn't know the rules of the road. It took me a while to learn and everything, and it took me a while even after I got my license to learn," said junior Samantha Elling.
According to the proposed bill, 15-year-old drivers would have the same training, safety rules, and driving restrictions currently in place for 16 year olds. The legislation is still in the very early stages and has yet to be introduced in the state house.
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