Since Ford invented the Model A, teens in need of privacy have been getting in their cars to get frisky. From lookout points to parking lots, nearly everyone has a story of laying out in the backseat. Cruisin’ around in your car is an American tradition, like baseball or apple pie; It’s an iconic symbol of freedom in teen genre movies from America Graffiti to Superbad. However, many teens are passing up this rite of passage. According to the Federal Highway Administration, while 43.8% of sweet sixteen year olds were licensed in 1998, a mere 29.8% are today. Although some states have raised the legal driving age, most public schools have dropped Drivers Ed from their curricula. Faced with high insurance rates and pricey private lessons, students might still be flipping burgers well into their 70′s to pay for the privilege of driving legally. This is a national economic crisis that is bleeding into our poor teens’ social lives! The price of getting felt up has gone too far! [New York Times]
