It’s nice to have the flexibility.

I don’t own a car, but I do have a license. It let’s me use car hire services, help friends, rent cars and drive them when we go on vacations. Etc

It’s very nice to have but I’d manage without it too

If you consider the rules stupid, please do everyone a favor and stay off the road.

Imagine if a prospective bridge engineer talked about bridge construction having “stupid” rules. I’d want to avoid their bridges.

What country are you in? If you’re in the US and you plan to drive, you should have a license.

Source: thousands of $$$$ paid for a child who chose to drive without one.

If all you want is the ID, you can get a government ID that can be used for travel (flights), alcohol, and anything else you need an ID for without having to get a license. You only need a license of you plan on driving, ever.

If you live in the US, yes it’s worth it. It’s almost a necessity depending on where in the country you live. The rules aren’t that difficult to learn and once you have some experience, it becomes as second nature as reading.

I wouldn’t be able to do my job if I didn’t have a license and a car so yeah I’d say it’s worth it in my case. Not everybody should be driving though and based on the little information you gave it sounds like you may well be one of them.

Is it worth it, I say yes you should at least be comfortable enough operate a vehicle in an emergency. I’m not sure your age or circumstances or where you live, so I’ll go off my experience. Getting a car allowed me to get a well-paying job farther from hone. Having reliable transportation to work is super helpful. The monthly cost of a car bill, insunace and gas Is cheaper than a $15 one-way uber ride 5 days a week + any other trips for grocery, food delivery, appointments, social/family, etc. If you’re somewhere with good, reliable public transit, then the benefit may not be as extreme.

As for actually driving;

1. The most important thing to understand is cars are death boxes on wheels. Every time some one gets behind the wheel they become responsible for the death box.

If you’re struggling with theory, then please do not get behind a wheel.

1. I’m curious about what kind of theory exams you are taking. If they they are online, could you share the link? It’s a completely guess, but I wonder if you’re taking ones that are more for someone who’s been driving for a little while on a permit.

2. Are you able to take drivers education courses? Having an instructor (or family member) take you to an empty parking lot is the way to start. Do not practice alone. You will only reinforce bad habbits. Theory becomes a lot easier when you practice it. It takes time, that’s why the whole permit system exists, it gives us time to learn with someone guiding us through new situations.

3. The “laws, rules and stuff” are written in blood. Without them the roads would be chaos. It is impossible to know every rule, however there are universal rules that need to be learned. Just as we learn how to behave at a restaurant, store or library, drivers need learn the rule of road - If we don’t follow them - someone could die.

4. The second most important thing to understand, after learning to respect the car for the death-box that is, is to assume everyone around you is a complete moron. Keep your distance and do not engage - be on the look out for them to cut you off, run the red, roll through the stop, make a U turn over the curb, kids jumping out, insurance scamers, parked cars doors opening etc. This is called “defensive driving”, you get better through practice and expirence. You should always be aware of your surrounding and be prepared to stop with zero notice.

5. The third most important thing to learn, is acceptance. Accept you are just another moron on the road going from point A to B, and sometimes you will fuck up. You will miss an exit, or take the wrong turn, or end up in the wrong lane. The best thing to do is to drive predictably and keep going foward. If your stuck in a left only lane, go left. If you miss the exit, get off at the next one and turn around. Stopping abrutly or cutting across 3 lanes is good way to get somebody hurt. There will always be a way to turn around and go back.

6. The fourth and final thing I’m going to type out is to find the balance between being too nice and being an ass. Don’t do things like stop randomly to wave a car out of a parking lot, or letting a car go when you have the right away. Take your turn and assume they have no idea you’re there, so proccede with cation.

For emergencies, yes. I think everyone should know how to drive a car, preferably manual transmission too, and be licensed to do so. Whether or not you buy or use a car doesn’t matter, just knowing how to drive one and having a one or two drives a year in friends’ cars to keep the knowledge/confidence there.

Emergencies happen and cars are everywhere. Theres knowing first aid, but it won’t get you far if you have no reception or time is of the essence, and a car’s parked right there.

You’re not supposed to just remember them. You’re suppressed to know and understand them.

Those are two different things. Normally I’d say yes. A license is always worth having. But I’m not sure I want you to share the road with me if this is what you think of the rules

Yes. You’re best getting your licence over and done with before you need a car. Once you have a licence, it generally doesn’t matter if you use it or not. All you have to do when you need to drive is to buy a car.

Also, what country are you in, may I ask? Germany?

Stupid and complicated?

You gotta be shitting me. The rules are trivially simple and easy, and they for the purpose of not killing people. If you can’t do it, stay off the road.

So, I skimmed all the answers and I think everyone is ignoring a critically important aspect.

As others have said, yes you should get your license for the flexibility it’ll give you. You never know when your life circumstances might change and you need a car, and with graduated licensing it may be over a year or two before you have a full license.

Now let’s say you decide fuck it and don’t get it.

You turn 45 and you finally need it for some reason so you get it.

How many years have you had your license when you then go to insure your first car?

0 years

You know what that means? They’ll wreck you on insurance. Even the idea of getting something semi nice (I mean you’re 45 and can afford it) will cost you thousands more in premiums for years to come.

However if you get your license today, if you were hypothetically 16, that’s 29 years of ‘experience’ that various insurers will count, and you’ll have exceptionally better premiums.

Not getting it ASAP is going to cost more and more money every year you delay it, up to many thousands of dollars in the future, if you ever change your mind.

This is satire, right?

No, if you don’t have a car don’t bother getting a license, get a state ID card or passport card instead. If you can’t learn the rules of the road you ought not be driving, and if you live somewhere you don’t have to drive, thank your lucky stars.

Depends on where you live and what you do. A car is definitely nice to have in (minor) emergencies.

But if you live in a region where everything is in a walkable distance and/or you have good public transportation you don’t really need a car.

But it’s also very practical to have when you need to transport big and heavy stuff.

Also, some jobs require you to have a driver’s licence.

• if you are somewhere with decent public transit options (bonus if it’s bike and pedestrian friendly), then there’s probably no need
• if you’re aiming for a job that requires a license (ex. delivery driver, freight trucker), then you don’t need to ask
• if you’re someplace as car-centric as the US, then it’s pretty much mandatory regardless of economic class