Ban dropouts from driving?

[FooFa]

Bill Could Strip Driver's License From SC Dropouts
Expulsion, Absences Could Also Yank License
_{Greg Funderburg reporting
POSTED: 10:43 pm EDT March 30, 2011
UPDATED: 11:19 am EDT March 31, 2011 Fox Carolina}

GREENVILLE, S.C. -- South Carolina lawmakers are looking at taking students' driver's licenses if they skip too many classes or drop out of school.
The bill would suspend the driver's licenses of teens who drop out of high school, are expelled or accumulate more than seven unexcused absences.
Its a move educators believe would be a strong incentive for students to stay in class.
"Something like this could be just a little piece that can let them know quickly how important it is to stay in school," said Lead Academy Principal Rodney Johnson.
State Rep. Tom Young, of Aiken, told FOX Carolina late Wednesday night that he wrote the bill as a short-term solution to the state's long-term problem of not enough students graduating.
The bill was set for discussion Wednesday, but was postponed until next week.
A similar bill came up last year but died in the Legislature.
The Associated Press reported South Carolina's on-time graduation rate is 72 percent. 
In South Carolina, teens can begin driving at 15 with a permit. They can get a regular license at 17.
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There's no question that this state is one of the most backwards and low ranking:Regularly at the bottom of scores for education, High heart attack stats due to diet, etc...But laws were meant to follow the principle of freedom, if it's not infringing on another's autonomy in any way it should not have a law telling ppl what to do. I like our governor from what I know so far Nikki Haley She's republican and talks about fiscal responsibility and is delivering on that. I don't think she would be for this but anyway, what do you think about this bill?

[clc]

I don't see a problem with it, in theory at least. The drivers licenses has a precedent as being used as a carrot--it came be taken away for child support, crimes, and drunk driving. If it means that a high school student is more likely to go on and get a diploma, then let them do it.

[FooFa]

I don't see a problem with it, in theory at least. The drivers licenses has a precedent as being used as a carrot--it came be taken away for child support, crimes, and drunk driving. If it means that a high school student is more likely to go on and get a diploma, then let them do it.

That's an unknown but I can see the possible positive rationale. It seems to me that if someone is dropping out, generally it's a statement about the parents more than the child and sometimes they drop out to care for an ailing family member or to earn money to help the family. Granted:It doesn't make for much of a bright future but drunk driving and child support are real criminal carrots. This isn't.

[Howey]

I'd be shocked to learn there's kids in South Carolina that even go to High School.

It's obvious none of the politicians do.

[lil mike]

That's an unknown but I can see the possible positive rationale. It seems to me that if someone is dropping out, generally it's a statement about the parents more than the child and sometimes they drop out to care for an ailing family member or to earn money to help the family. Granted:It doesn't make for much of a bright future but drunk driving and child support are real criminal carrots. This isn't.

I'd be surprised if the drop out rate was effected by more than a tiny percentage of kids who are dropping out to support an ailing family member or to support the family financially.  I'm sure it happens but probably not to a significant degree.  But as a freedom issue, a driver's license just isn't a right.  It might actually have some positive effect in decreasing drop out rates.  However if I were a SC legislator, I would want to see some sort of hard data to that effect before I would vote for it.

[FooFa]

On the other hand...when I think of the amount of teens killed each year from blatant stupidity and immaturity who also kill innocent people, maybe there is a place for trying to legislate some morality.

[Howey]

On the other hand...when I think of the amount of teens killed each year from blatant stupidity and immaturity who also kill innocent people, maybe there is a place for trying to legislate some morality.

Good. Can we do something about dumbass rednecks in big pickum up trucks now?

And soccer moms in suv's?

And fools on motorcycles?

Everyone but cute lil ol' mo's puttering around in a mo' friendly Subaru?

[ekg]

don't we already do  this here? and haven't we had it for quite a few years now?

even if you have your DL and then drop out, they revoke it..

http://www.highschooldriver.com/driving-law/florida-truancy.shtml

Teens Must Stayin School to Keep Learners Permit

Florida teens can get their learners permit or drivers license suspended for a number of reasons just like adult drivers. Unique to teen drivers under the age of 18 is the State of Florida requirement to attend school in order to keep their driving privilege

Skipping School

A Florida teen under the age of 18 cannot miss more than 15 days of school with unexcused absences within a 90 day period or their learners permit or drivers license will be suspended – indefinitely.

Florida schools automatically send a computer-generated list of students with unacceptable attendance to their school districts. Then each of the 67 Florida school districts transmits the data to the Florida DMV. The student's privilege to drive is then suspended until age 18 or until a documented pattern of acceptable attendance is established. Students are informed of the suspension in the form a letter from the Department of Motor Vehicles in Tallahassee.

Drivers License Suspensions for Poor Attendance

In the 2006 - 2007 Florida school year 9,234 students lost their driving privilege because they did not attend school. This applies to learners permits and drivers licenses. Connecting school attendance to driving privileges for teens may be having the desired effect. The number of repeat suspensions over the last seven years is consistently around 5 percent. – 499 in the 2006 – 2007 school year.

This suggests that teen drivers who lost their Florida learners permit or drivers license for lack of attendance maintained acceptable attendance 95 percent of the time after their first suspension. The data has not been studied to determine if other factors influenced these results.


Truant Teens Get No License

Truancy in Florida also prevents a teen from applying for their learner permit or drivers license. Students under 18 that do not have a learners permit or drivers license and are not meeting attendance requirements will receive a letter from the DMV indicating they cannot get their license until they meet school attendance requirements.
Drop Outs are Walking

Florida Teens who drop out of school have their driving privilege suspended until they are 18.

History and Statistics of Connecting School Attendance to Driving

The State of Florida sent out the first letters suspending teen driving privileges on February 16, 1999. Since then the DMV has sent letters to 353,580 Florida teens

I don't see a problem with it..