“I don’t like that they changed the driving age because it makes everything more difficult,” Sophomore Hannah Smith said. “Teens have places to go and their parents cant always drive them.”

In 2009 the unrestricted driving age in Kansas changed from 16 to 17 years old. This upset many people, especially the ones that were about to turn 16. Teenagers have places to go like sports, church or to hand out with friends. With the new driving laws it is still possible to do this when they are only 16, but only if they have completed drivers education and it is between the hours of 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. Before that, at the age of 15 if they have completed drivers ed. course they can drive to school, work and home by themselves. The driving laws are just confusing and tempt teens to break the rules.

“The driving laws are dumb because when you let a kid drive only certain places and times, that’s just asking for them to break the laws,” parent Lance Nelson said.

The only reason the driving age was raised was to make the roads “safer.”

“…Our roads are safer, our teens will be more prepared and parents can, hopefully, fell a little bit better about handing over the keys,” said Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius in 2009.

If teens have taken drivers ed. and completed the requirements they can get an unrestricted license at 16 and a half. That is only half a year later then the original law. What difference will a year or half a year make in teens driving skills? An adult can be a reckless driver too.

At what age and where teens can drive should really be up to the parents based on the law. If they do not think their kid can drive yet, then they should not let them. The driving age being changed is more frustrating than it is helpful. The law should be changed back to 16 instead of 17.