Originally Posted by va_cyclist
Well, I can tell you that high school would have been a whole lot different for me and most of my classmates if we weren't allowed to drive. I grew up in a spread-out rural area with zero mass transit options. If you wanted a job that would keep you busy until after dark, you needed a car or needed to be driven to and from work. If you wanted to stay after school for extracurricular activities, you could stay there up to 45 min. and take a late bus, but for anything beyond that you needed to drive or be driven, or ride a bike. I rode my bike through most of high school, but most everyone I knew used a car to get around.
Everywhere I've ever lived had "hardship" exceptions to the 16 YO limit, so they could easily include such exceptions in any new laws. If you are able to prove you need to get to work or have some other compelling reason, like having a disabled parent that needs you to drive to do the shopping or take them to doctor visits, then you can get a licence, otherwise not.
The "not until 21 if you drop out" is stupid though. Those are people that are much more likely to have some hardship reason and need to drive anyways. I'd have no problem making 16-19 year olds have "provisional" licenses with restrictions (some states already do this)-- no passengers except family members, no driving after dark unless to and from work or for valid hardship reasons, any moving violations or reportable accidents result in a graduated series of license suspensions.