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Because a road is a safety intensive commons and establishing basic minimum safety standards works.

As was said ad infinitum when I was learning to drive - it's a privilege and not a right.

As I understand, you don't need a license to drive a car under most state laws -- you just need a license to drive a car on public roads (or, IIRC, in certain cases, on private property where the property owner has opted in to enforcement of public traffic laws.)

For reasons of safety?!

Yeah cause having a little card in their pocket stops people from driving in an unsafe fashion

Also seems to assume license testing is standardized with rigorous instruction regarding safety.

Some states don't require anything more than successfully completing a multiple choice test about signals and signs many folks end up ignoring anyway, and a brief on road exam.

People go in and drive safely for the 20 mins their subjected to a road test and sink into bad habits all the time.

I personally saw a wobbly 75 year old man with shakey hands (he updated his signature wearing coke bottle thick glasses) and a cane get his license renewal rubber stamped

Feeling safer already.