Well sound like your state is just as stupid as mine(Va). They increased the age to get a learners permit from 15 to 15 1/2 but increased the time to get your license by only 3 months (16 3mon.) That only really gives you 9 months to learn to drive a car good enough to be safe on the road. You are right because in my opinion, its not the age that makes you "drive fast" its the thrill of first getting your license, after a while, it gets old( to most people).
They also go off the maturity and drinking and driving crap, in my opinion people should be able to drink before they can drive so that they know their limits, and what the affects and risks are behind the wheel of a vehicle. Because now the drunk driving laws are strict(thank god , even though my dad totalled my car DUI). Anyway you are right, state legislators are stupid, every year they try and fix crap that doesnt really need to be fixed. pretty soon you will have to be 21, then 31 then probably 50 till you can drive.