Ken at Popehat examines one particular example of government’s good intentions leading to unexpected results:
The problem: 16- and 17-year-olds are shitty drivers.
The legislative solution: dramatically tighten the license requirements and driving restrictions on 16- and 17-year-olds.
The result: At least according to one study (though there is conflicting data) higher fatality rates are shifted from 16- and 17-year-olds to 18- and 19-year-olds.
[. . .]
Arguments for driving regulation are stronger than many other realms of government regulation. My point is that the government frequently doesn’t think about what it’s doing, doesn’t understand what it’s doing, and can’t predict the probable outcome of what it’s doing. High-minded regulations do not necessarily have good effects just because they are meant well. Government should exercise humility; citizens should exercise skepticism.
