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 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's 21 years of age or older in the front passenger seat at all times. And you can't drive on any street within a park in New York City, any bridge or tunnel under the jurisdiction of the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority, or on certain parkways in Westchester County. Bummer.

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 17 and have your license? Depending on where you live, there may be restrictions on when, where, and how you may drive, so be sure to check those out on New York's DMV website.

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:

A. Are you 18 or older? If YES, go to B. If NO, go to C.
B. Congrats! Once you turn 18, you can skip the graduated license and go straight to the real thing. Time to upgrade.
C. Are you at least 17 years old, and have you successfully completed an approved driver education program? If YES, go to D. If NO, go to E.
D. Have you successfully avoided incurring a moving traffic violation within since the issuance of the Learner's Permit? 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, responsible adult driver aged 21 or older, or approved driver education program certified that you have had at least 50 hours of driving practice, of which at least 15 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 New York Driver's License.