Here in Massachusetts there has been an on-again, off-again attempt to raise the age at which one can get a driver's license from 16 to 17 or even 18. But every time it's been broached it's met with pretty strong resistance. So the Massachusetts legislature has opted for a different tack -- making it harder for poor kids to get their licenses.
In Massachusetts, kids can get their learner's permit at 16 and their license at 16-and-a-half if they have taken driver's education. If not, everything gets pushed up six months (permit at 16-and-a-half, license at 17). Last Saturday new driver's ed requirements took effect which mandate 12 hours of on-road training (up from 6) and 40 hours of parentally supervised driving (up from 12). In addition, parents must now attend 2 hours of their children's mandated 30 hours of driver's ed classroom instruction. On top of all that, there are 6 hours of "on-road observation" (by a driver's ed instructor) required.
All of this costs money. In Massachusetts, most driver's ed courses are offered by the schools through private companies. The cost is between $400-600, depending on where you live. That's before the increase in hours. By doubling the amount of on-road instruction required, the state has essentially guaranteed that the price will increase. You don't get something for nothing. Just at a guess, I would estimate that the additonal requirements will add at least 25% to the cost of driver's ed instruction, bringing it to something in the range of $500-750.
And let's not forget the state's cut. Massachusetts charges $30 for a learner's permit, $15 for a driver's ed certificate, and $60 for the licensing road test. So add it all together and the base cost of getting a driver's license in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts can be as much as $855. That doesn't even take into account insurance costs, which are typically around $1,500-2,000 for a teenager, depending on the particular vehicle, place of residence, etc.
The net result of all these requirements is to make it virtually impossible for the children of low-income or single-parent homes to get their driver's license at the same time as wealthier kids, whose parents can afford the financial and time commitments necessary. And when the lower-income kids finally do enter the driving world, they will be doing so without the benefit of driver's ed training.
I understand the risks associated with young drivers, and I realize the importance of driver's education programs as a means to mitigate those risks. Despite the unpopularity of the idea among parents (many of whom, no doubt, welcome the relief from driving duties that comes when their kids get their licenses), maybe raising the driving age to 18 is a good idea. But it seems grossly unfair to me to create a system in which the poorest kids are essentially denied the same opportunity as higher-income kids.