Assuming that this is a serious question: Skipping grades is based on academic achievement, only one aspect of maturity. Obtaining a driver's license is based on a wider variety of skills and, even then, is accomplished by some folks who shouldn't be allowed on the road. P.S. As someone who skipped two grades ( I went from grade 5 to 7 to 9), I can attest to the fact that it is not always in the student's best interest, even if it seems like a good idea. I never really fit in to my social group until about grade 11; even now, I wish that I had been left in the same grade. Although the second skip was because of changing school boards, I believe that I would have been better able to handle high school if I had not had the first skip. But way back in those days, there was no such definition as 'gifted' and no other way to handle it except skipping grades. It might have been a source of pride for students(and their parents) to be singled out, but in the long run, I believe that it was a misguided reaction to a child being 'out-of-step' academically with his/her classmates. I would never have allowed one of my children to skip; one of them was identified as gifted and I was relieved that the solution was an enriched curriculum rather than changing grades. in response to Mathew1964's comment: perhaps I wasn't very clear - I was trying to illustrate, through my own experience, that a student who is advanced academically, isn't necessarily advanced in any other way, especially in the maturity level required to drive a car, and more particularly because the adaptation processes required to stabilize at the new academic and social level can strain the psychological resources that would otherwise be used to continue the 'normal' maturing process. Sorry for not dotting the 'i's and crossing the 't's.

Because a high IQ (which is what "gifted" means to me and about a billion other people) does not determine a person's maturity, temperament, the ability to judge various traffic situations wisely, or keep a cool head under pressure. Smarts don't necessarily mean someone can fully grasp the idea that driving is a responsibility, not a right. Being a gifted student has little to do with behind-the-wheel abilities, and brainpower isn't related to the physical skills necessary for the average person to handle a motor vehicle. If the front tire blows at 45 mph, the driver needs to stay calm and hold the car steady while safely getting to the roadside ASAP. Of course, turning 16 doesn't guarantee someone can pull that off, but the general assumption leans toward a 16 yr. old having a better chance of success than someone younger. Insurance companies would be raising premiums for all drivers, no doubt. I don't know how early you mean, and nobody was calling me gifted, but I learned to drive my great aunt's Oldsmobile when I was about ten. (We were always out on some country road in the middle of the Mississippi Delta, but eventually ended up in her carport, at her house, in the town of about 400 people.) Imagine a scrawny little kid whose feet barely reached the pedals, tooling along in this big car and waving at anybody who saw us. It was great fun, too, when I wasn't terrified and trying to crawl under the front seat (grin). Imagine what a pro I was by 12 - but no one was telling me I should get my license. You pretty much have to tough it out until the law says it's OK.

Because the definition of "gifted" would have to be based on their skill at driving, rather than academic achievement (the two don't necessarily go hand in hand- I know several people who didn't get into college and are excellent drivers). The only way to test that ability would be to put them in a car and let them drive, which is kind of akin to giving someone a loaded gun to check how good their aim is. At least when someone skips a school grade they can always be put back again if things don't go to plan. The prices of a wrongly given driving license are far greater.

Driving requires an understanding and a level of experience of certain physical forces that we have trusted or assumed to be acquired by about age 16. These forces can be deadly when not given the proper respect. Being gifted does not equal experience. An automobile is clearly a deadly machine and it would be a social irresponsibility to license anyone that is not fully prepared for the skill. At times a driver is faced with sudden unexpected decisions that only a minimum level of wisdom can resolve. Errors while driving can be extremely costly, which is why there are laws, codes, insurances, and consequences for them. Lives and property($$$) are at stake, and one of these is priceless. What will you explain to the parents/loved ones of your victim - - “. . . but I am mentally gifted”. If you are so mentally and academically gifted, you would have researched this question within an authorized forum and answered it for yourself then provided answers for anyone else, such as a truly gifted person does. I was classified as gifted and placed in special education programs such as MGM, PASS, and GATE. I was bussed to the high school while in Jr. High for advanced math and science classes, but I was not born with driving abilities. And although I passed both test at age 16 with perfect scores, I still went on to make several mistakes while on the road. Driving is a skill that is learned and improved through practice. The physical forces and practice nessesary for driving, in an analogy, can almost be compared to a fast intense sport such as basketball (you must maneuver, drive, pass, signal, be defensive at all times, understand apply and utilize the physical forces, practice, be coached like when you get your permit, have good hand-eye motor skills, follow rules, calculate distances and the list goes on). You are academically gifted, does this make you a basketball/sports star? Currently, with so many cars on the road, distractions, personal and self-inflicted pressures, as well as recurring adversities (weather, construction, road conditions, etc.), I truly believe that this responsibility should be changed to age 18. When I signed my license (which is a contract) with DMV I was 16 years old, a minor. Everyone knows that a contract with a minor is invalid. Driving truly is an adult responsibility. Final question for thought, If you are gifted and would like a license early, how late should students that are held back or have a low GPA/test scores wait for a driver's license?

Short answer: A person's intelligence or education does not affect his or her driving ability. Thus a person who is considered fit for skipping grades can be a bad driver and vice versa. Therefore all people are made to go through a driving test to obtain a license.

Recent tests have shown that younger people, have a certain part of their brain that has not fully developed. this particular section of the brain controls motor skills and ability to make quick decisions. gifted students are generally in this age bracket and have not developed the motor skills necessary to operate a motor vehicle safely.

Schools are not the bosses of the state!

Gifted students may be gifted in their schools, but driving a motor vehicle is a whole different ball game. Ever heard of a person thats almost genius-level at 150? he has the book sense, but generally no common sense. it takes a person with a lot of common sense to drive defensively in todays world. The laws for obtaining drivers license were formulated and passed for a very good reason. to keep immature children out of the drivers seat and to prevent deaths on the highway.

Yea but they have to be like 16 or 17 dont they!

The key is impulsivity: a young, gifted student is often very competitive, where enthusiasm and risk-taking go hand in hand. This is exactly *NOT* what you want in an inexperienced driver. Few people are injured or die during math team competitions.

Because driver licences are about driving experience - not merely "passing a test". More than half of accidents occur with one or both drivers passed under a year.

probably cause they have to be a certain age to get it