Losing your driving privileges can make life difficult. Instead of being able to drive yourself to work or school, you have to rely on family, friends, or public transportation to get you where you need to go. Driving privileges can be lost one of two ways: license suspension or license revocation.

Many may associate a license suspension with a DUI conviction. It is one of several penalties that an individual could receive if convicted of drinking and driving. But now Pennsylvania lawmakers are considering making a suspended license the penalty for something much different.

High school students can expect a license suspension for skipping or dropping out of school if this new piece of legislation is passed. The bill would take away the driving privileges of any high school student who drops out of school or fails to attend classes. Driving privileges would only be returned if the student receives a high school diploma or turns 21.

Supporters of the proposal believe that threatening to take away driving privileges would encourage students to finish high school. Even though many kids still rely on their parents for rides to school, the prospect of being unable to drive at all could be enough incentive to work hard and graduate.

Those who are hesitant about the legislation are not sure whether the bill would have any effect on the high school students. If students don't necessarily need to drive, they won't care as much about the repercussions of dropping out of school.

Several high school students were asked what they thought of the proposed bill. One student who dropped out stated that he would have stayed in school if the bill had already been passed. If it does pass, he still stands to lose his license.

Pennsylvania is not the first state to propose a bill like this one. And though the dropout rate in the state is relatively low compared to the national average, supporters still believe that suspending a high school student's driver's license will help keep them in school.

Source: CBS 21 News online, "New bill would take license if students leave school," Chris Papst, 19 May 2011