How fitting that I encountered this Boston Globe article shortly after almost being t-boned by a car full of high school-aged kids:
The bill, to take effect Aug. 1, increases from 20 hours to 40 hours for the number of hours of on-the-road training and imposes a reckless driving charge if the teen is driving 20 mph over the posted speed limit.
Two of the more controversial provisions change the curfew from midnight to 11 p.m. for 16- and 17-year-old drivers, with certain exceptions, and require parents and guardians to attend two hours of classroom instruction with their teens.[...]
Teens also face the possibility of having their license immediately suspended for 48 hours if they’re caught drag racing, driving recklessly or violating passenger restrictions. A parent or guardian must accompany the teen to reclaim their license.
I know that there are a lot of teenagers who will see these changes as horribly unfair. However, the extra driver’s training and phase-in of driving privileges is probably a good thing.
However, it’s a bit of a shame that the state has to intervene as nanny in this regard, rather than parents doing the right thing themselves.