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 "Instruction 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. And you can only drive between 5:00AM to 10:00PM. And you can't drive more than two non-family passengers other than your supervising driver.

This bears repeating. You can't drive alone. Anywhere. This is huge. If a cop catches you driving alone with only an Instruction 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 still can't drive between the hours of 10:00PM and 5:00AM without that 21-year-old in your passenger seat unless you're driving to or from work, school, church, or the hospital. Also, during the first six months, you aren't allowed to drive any non-family members under the age of 20. After the first six months, you aren't allowed to drive more than one non-family member under 20.

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 Instruction Permit to an Intermediate License? Let's play a little game to see if you're eligible.

Instruction Permit: Choose Your Own Adventure (As Long As It Sticks to State Rules)

Let's say you've had your Instruction 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. Are you at least 16, and have you had your Instruction Permit for at least 180 consecutive violation-free days? If YES, go to D. If NO, go to E.
D. Do you have a current School Driver Eligibility Certificate? If YES, go to F. If NO, go to E.
E. Sorry kid, you're gonna have to wait a while.
F. Have you completed a state-approved driver education course, or has a parent or legal guardian certified that you've 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 Intermediate West Virginia Driver's License.

Once you turn 17, you'll be able to upgrade to an unrestricted license if you've had 12 months of violation-free driving. If you've been a bad driver, you'll have to wait until you're 18 for the upgrade. Them's the rules.