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 you have to have a licensed driver who is 21 years of age or older in the front passenger seat at all times.

This bears repeating. You can't drive alone. 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.

Think you're cool because you're 16 and have your intermediate license? You can only drive between the hours of 6:00AM and 11:00PM on Fridays and Saturdays and 6:00AM and 10:00PM Sundays through Thursdays, unless you have that 21-year-old driver in your passenger seat or you're driving to or from work.

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.

And while we're on the subject, you need to maintain a conviction-free driving record for nine months prior to upgrading to a restricted license and six months prior to upgrading to an unrestricted license, so be careful out there.

Already feeling antsy? Want to upgrade your Learner's Permit to a restricted 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:

A. Are you 18 or older? If YES, go to B. If NO, go to C.
B. Congrats! None of this applies to you.
C. Have you had your Learner's Permit for twelve months? If YES, go to D. If NO, go to E.
D. Have you successfully avoided incurring a moving traffic violation during that time? If YES, go to F. If NO, go to E.
E. Sorry kid, you're gonna have to wait a while.
F. Have you paid all necessary fees? 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 Intermediate Mississippi Driver's License.

Once you've had your intermediate license for six months, you'll be able to upgrade to the full license, as long as you haven't run over a flock of nuns or anything. God and the great state of Mississippi would both frown upon that type of behavior.