There are many reasons most kids can't drive worth a darn. For one, a lack of open land and back roads - most kids grow up in the city or burbs ... no where to really learn. My dad gave me a car when I was 14 (all I had to do was get it running - took me nearly six months but I sure learned a lot about cars). My extended family had land and a bunch of teenagers with junkers to race around a dirt/mud track every weekend.

I invested in my son's safety with a very good local driving school (first day they did timed slalom runs) and some relevant experience I gave him. He is now 18 and drives a 5 ton plow/salt truck all night in Cleveland for decent money. I asked him how he got the job over older people with experience and he said the owner of the company told him the other applicants couldn't handle the truck.

To me, learning to swim, cook, shoot, drive, and the like (in the real world) are life skills that should be mandatory. Oh, wait ... they're all pretty dangerous. Insurance ... liability ... what am I thinking??? Nevermind.