We all agree that driving a vehicle (a car or motorcycle) is potentially dangerous. There is the risk of accidents, injury, and sometimes death.

But for many people it is an essential part of their lives, although many choose not to drive but to use public transport.

For millennia societies around the world have known that drinking alcohol is potentially dangerous, with increased drink of accidents and disease the more one drinks, sometimes with fatal results.

But for many people, drinking alcohol is an essential and enjoyable part of their lives, helping them to relax, reduce stress, enjoy a meal, socialize and so on. Although many choose not to drink at all.

Modern society has recognised that both pursuits, driving a vehicle and drinking alcohol should be regulated – and both should be a pursuit reserved for adults.

Indeed, we can go back to Plato for the first admonition against young people drinking*.

Yet, in many countries, including Australia, Society adopts entirely different approaches to preparing our young people for these adult activities.

Let’s have a look at the gauntlet that a young person needs to negotiate before he or she can set out onto the road with hands on a steering wheel (this applies to NSW, Australia, I appreciate different states and countries have different requirements)**.

  1. To receive a learner’s licence (at the age of 16) one must first pass a theory test. This licence has Photo ID and allows the holder to drive under supervision according to strict guidelines.
  2. After a minimum period and a certain number of supervised driving hours under the belt, one undergoes a practical (driving) test.
  3. If successful, one is issued with a P1 Licence allowing one to drive unsupervised – but with severe restrictions (such as maximum speed, number of passengers, etc)
  4. After a successful period of driving using a P1 Licence one can then graduate to a P2 licence – as per a P1 licence but with sightly less serve restrictions.
  5. A young person is around 22 before they are a fully licensed driver and “graduate” from the P2 licence.