You might be a finely responsible young man or woman, but statistics don't lie. You have too many minor brethren that make up the majority of motor vehicle crashes.

So, to protect everyone from your relatively high odds of crashing, we rein you in, especially during your teenage years.

You'll first get this piece of paper that says "Learner's Permit" on it. You're permitted to drive, but for the first six months, you have to have a licensed driver who's 25 years of age or older with at least five years of licensed driving experience in the front passenger seat at all times. After the first six months, you can drive alone, but only between 6:00AM to 10:00PM, unless you're driving to or from work, school, or church. And you can only drive one passenger other than your chaperone a.k.a. driving buddy.

This bears repeating. You can't drive alone during the first six months. Anywhere. This is huge. If a cop catches you driving alone with only a Learner's Permit, it's likely that you won't get your real license until you're at least 18.

The belief is that in this probationary time, you'll be extra super extra extra cautious. And if you're not, then you aren't ready to be inflicted on everyone else who has to use the same roads as you.

Already feeling antsy? Want to upgrade your Learner's Permit to an adult license? Let's play a little game to see if you're eligible.

Learner's Permit: Choose Your Own Adventure (As Long As It Sticks to State Rules)

Let's say you've had your Learner's Permit for a while now and want to upgrade to the real deal:

A. Are you 18 or older? If YES, go to B. If NO, go to C.
B. Have you had your Learner's Permit for at least ten days but less than six months? If YES, go to G. If NO, go to E.
C. Have you had your Learner's Permit for at least twelve months? If YES, go to D. If NO, go to E.
D. Have you successfully avoided having your permit suspended, revoked, or cancelled since it was issued to you? If YES, go to F. If NO, go to E.
E. Sorry kid, you're gonna have to wait a while.
F. Has a parent, legal guardian, licensed instructor, or responsible adult driver aged 25 or older with at least five years of driving experience certified that you have had at least 50 hours of driving practice, of which at least ten were at night? If YES, go to G. If NO, go to E.
G. Have you passed a driving test? If YES, go to H. If NO, go to E.
H. Congrats! You're the proud owner of a shiny new Class D Delaware Driver's License.