Driver Licensing

The estimated number of automobiles on the road around the world ranges from 650 million to over 1 billion. This means that at least 650 million human beings have the ability to drive. As public transportation does not serve all locations equally, and as not all infrastructures support train, tram, bus, bicycle, or pedestrian traffic, it has become essential for individuals—particularly in the United States—to learn how to drive. As the number of cars on the road increases, the occurrence of traffic accidents also increases. While more heavily populated states such as California, Florida, New York, and Texas have the highest number of traffic accidents, statistics in the United States show that the number of accidents is slowly decreasing, possibly due to more effective driver education.

Approximately 196.5 million people living in the United States possess a driver license. The driver license in the United States serves two purposes. First, it certifies that an individual has learned how to operate a motor vehicle safely and that they know how to read road signs and follow state and federal laws that apply to driving. The driver license in the United States also serves as a form of photo identification and proof of residency within a particular city, county, or state. Even if someone is not a frequent driver, the driver license serves as the most common form of government-issued identification for employment purposes, along with a social security number. For this reason, most young adults in the United States strive to acquire their driver license as quickly as possible. People who move from one state to another must apply for a new driver license issued by that state; a license is not issued without passing a written test, a road test, or both. The elderly, as well as people who have not driven for a long time due to medical reasons, must also retake a written test, a road test, or both prior to renewing their license.