Driving Around

A not so lazy sunday has you once again off the couch and driving around town to take care of errands left over from the busy week. You wonder if you will ever finish this endless folly of sacrificing time for yourself so that you can keep other people happy with your "responsible" performance. Although a touch of angst fills your belly, you retreat from feeling bad and accept that your good nature will always dominate your day. Motorists are almost universally required to take lessons with an approved instructor and pass a driving test before being granted a license. Almost all countries allow all adults with good vision to apply to take a driving test and, if successful, to drive on public roads. Saudi Arabia, however, bans women from driving vehicles (whether pedal or motor powered) on public roads. In many countries, even after passing one's driving test, new motorists may be initially subject to special restrictions. For example, in Australia, novice drivers are required to carry "P" ("provisional") plates, and are subject to alcohol limits, and other restrictions for their first two years of driving. Another example, in California, licensed drivers (ages 16) are able to drive only with a family member for the first year. Yet in most states (mostly on the eastern coast) any licensed driver can take friends with them as long as both parents/guardians approve. These states include: Georgia, Alabama, South and North Carolina and Virginia.