Imagine being allowed to get a pilot’s license without ever having piloted a plane in the presence of a certified instructor.
That would be considered irresponsible and foolish.
But is that any less irresponsible or foolish than allowing a person to get a driver’s license without a road test that demonstrates a person’s basic driving skills? After all, you are 10,000 times more likely to die in a car crash than an airplane crash.
Based on its rules for acquiring a driver’s license, Mississippi’s answer is “no” to the above question. Like many states, Mississippi suspended its driving test requirement in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic made that part of the licensing process a logistical nightmare.
Yet five years later, Mississippi, along with North Carolina and Wisconsin, is among the only states that haven’t resumed the driving test requirement. This despite Mississippi’s highest car fatality rate in the nation at 23.9 deaths per 100,000 residents. That’s five times the rate of New York.
But the lax requirements don’t end there.
In 2015, Mississippi ended its annual car inspection program that required motor vehicles to meet basic safety standards.
Want more fun facts?
Just 77.9% of Mississippians regularly use seat belts, which is among the lowest percentage in the nation. The national average is 90.1%.
And finally, Mississippi ranks fourth in dangerous road conditions.
What does all that mean? It means that there are a lot of untested Mississippians driving vehicles that may not be safe to operate while not wearing seat belts while driving some of the worst-conditioned roads in the nation.
Given all that, the requirements for obtaining a driver’s license should be more rigorous, not less.
Mississippi Public Safety commissioner Sean Tindall dismissed the importance of driving tests, suggesting the tests are little more than a drive around a parking lot.
If that is true, that’s more of an indictment of how the driving test is conducted than the driving test itself.
Here is what we believe: Motorists should be able to demonstrate, in real time on actual roadways in the presence of an evaluator, that they have the motor skills, vision, reflexes, understanding of the rules of the road and good judgment to operate a vehicle safely.
These are not unreasonable expectations, especially in the most dangerous state in the nation for fatal auto accidents.
Whatever minor costs, inconvenience or time proper driving tests entail, the data show it’s well worth the effort.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 35 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
