Some lawmakers want the driving age raised from 16 to 17, though they lack evidence that an inexperienced driver at 17 is any better than one at 16. They want to keep teens off the road at night and restrict how many other young people are in a vehicle driven by a teen. Perhaps the most interesting of the restrictive ideas is to stop younger teens from driving in the metro Atlanta area. For now, that idea is off the table. Times have changed.
More teens have their own cars today, and there are more distractions and less training.
Kids aren't driving jalopies made of steel either. Today it's composite, lightweight materials. Even the underpowered vehicles of today will go faster than many cars of yesteryear. But there are other differences now, critical differences. Add all that together with a strong dose of a teen-ager's sense of invulnerability and you have a dangerous combination.