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"16-year-olds have higher crash rates than drivers of any other age" (11 facts about teen driving). This is a current problem because it is raising the death rate and putting other people in danger. Another reason this is a current issue is because teenagers take for granted the power of freedom given to them. They do it every time they drink and drive or text while driving. They do not think of the consequences. Two main reasons the driving age should be raised is because they are mentally undeveloped and they make a lot of small errors that may lead to a bigger consequence. Some critics may argue that the driving age will only save lives temporarily, this is not correct because it is still saving a lot lives. So raising the driving age needs to happen.
16-year-olds are not mature enough because their brains are not fully developed.
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According to the research from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIH), " The problem is human biology. A crucial part of the teen's brain, the area that peers ahead and considers consequences remains undeveloped" (Davis 251). This research suggests that the driving age should be raised because the brain of a 16-year-old is undeveloped. If they cannot consider consequences it will make them more reckless; they will not think of the actions they make and could seriously end up harming someone. This is dangerous because they are not just putting themselves in a threatening position they are also putting other victims in the car in danger along with other people on the road because they are reckless. Furthermore, the same NIH research study suggests, "In recent years, safety researchers have noticed a pattern emerge one that seems to stem more from immaturity than from inexperience" (Davis 250). This example, states that 16-year-olds are just to immature to be on the road. No matter how much someone trains a 16-year-old to be a good driver, they will still be immature. This is because certain parts of the brain are not fully developed at the age of 16 so they are more bound to make mistakes because the brain will not think that far ahead. They could possibly end up ruining a family because they were not thinking of the long term consequences such as killing a kid and ruining a family. All because they were to immature and did not let their brains develop first. Let's give 16 year old brains time to grow and mature before letting them on the road, it may decrease the crash rates for 16-year-olds. Another reason the driving age should be raised is because 16-year-olds make more errors while driving. According to Jay Giedd, chief of brain imaging, states that "Those emotions make it hard to quickly form wise judgements the kind drivers must make everyday" (Davis 252). This example, states that because it is harder for 16-year-olds to make intelligent judgements, their emotions make it more likely to make it easier for them to make errors on the road. This is because teenagers are going through puberty and their hormones are all over. One minute a teenager can be happy and the next minute they could have road rage and try to take it out on another driver. Teenagers have horrible impulse control, and because of that they may harm themselves or someone else. Another piece of evidence is from the Insurance Institute for Highway safety. They state that "most fatal crashes with 16-year-old drivers (77%) involved driving errors" (Davis 250). This proves that 16-year-olds make a lot of mistakes, and no one wants to be on the road with an unskilled driver. It is dangerous because a teen can make a small error while driving and it can end in a larger result. For example, a teenager can be speeding by just 10mph and then the person in front of him stops to let a kid get his ball that had rolled out into the road and the teenager not realizing hit the guy in front of him. In that accident it could have harmed the teenager, the other driver, or the kid in the street. Some critics may argue that raising the driving age will only save lives temporarily.
According to Dr. Masten, a researcher with California Department of Motor Vehicles states, "raising the driving age will only reduce crash rates temporarily" (O'Conner 26). This means that if the minimum driving age is raised, people will wait until they can freely get there license, which means the crash rates will still raise years later. However, rasing the driving age gives teens more time to mature in many ways. According to Robert Davis the author of the article "is 16 too young to drive a car?" States, " A new 17 or 18 year old driver is considered safer than a new 16-year-old driver" (Davis 249). This example, states that an older driver is better even if it is just a year or two later. This is because they were given time to mature emotionally and mentally even if they are just a little more mature it will still help save lives and put fewer risks within the community. Now that they are more mature they are less likely to make errors and will put less people in danger because they are more capable to think of long term
consequences. Washington state should raise the minimum driving age above 16-years-old. This will give the younger drivers' brains more time to develop. It will also let 16-year-olds mature emotionally before allowed on the road. While some might argue that it should not be raised because it will only be a temporary life saver. However, it will still save lives. If the driving age is not raised the crash rates will most likely increase. Also, they will probably take advantage of the situation. As in texting while driving or drinking and driving. Therefore, the driving age should be raised because it will have a positive effect within the communities, there will be less crashes and lives lost.
I. Introduction A. Should 16 year old teenagers be able to drive? B. “Those who favor raising the driving age say that statistics show teenagers are more likely to get into accidents than adults. What they don't say is that statistics also show that men of all ages are 77 percent more likely to kill someone while driving than women.
Maturity and rationalization is not yet achieved or experienced by teenagers. In the era of technology there are several distractions for drivers of any age to maneuver. Parents can play an educational role by enrolling their teen into a driver’s educational program. Some states require students to complete a comprehensive graduated drivers licensing (GDL) program prior to receiving their license. The brain function is still developing in teenagers and may impede the quick thinking process necessary to become a responsible driver. For the safety and welfare of teenagers the age requirement in Arizona for a driver’s license should be increased from 16 to 18 years of age.
...year, raising the minimum driving age to 16 seems hopeful in making safer roads for society. In doing so we all should strongly encourage our teenage drivers to be more mature, to pay more attention, to be more confident in their driving, and to not think that they are so invincible to accidents.
Driving is something people do everyday. Although many people do it well, some do not, that being said the legal age to drive should be raised to twenty one years of age. The driving age should be raised because teens at the ages of fourteen through twenty should not be behind the wheel for the simple fact that they are just too young and too inexperienced to drive, also someone of that age can get more distracted than a person who is twenty-one or older and has had some time to mature and become responsible enough to operate a motor vehicle. “In the United States, 16–19-year-olds have the highest incidence of motor vehicle deaths among licensed drivers and motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among 15–20-year-olds.” (Haggerty
In recent years, the legal driving age has become a topic of heated debate. There are many supporters that advocate for raising the legal driving age to eighteen or twenty-one. However, raising the driving age would cause some major problems. Sixteen should remain the legal driving age in most states and areas because the economic burden would be extremely large and the problems related to young drivers would not be adequately solved by simply rising the legal driving age. This essay will outline the reasons why the legal driving age should not be raised and what some of the better choices are instead.
This should not even be a question if the driving age should be the driving age should be raised to 18; that can be answered easily , YES!!! Alarmed by the car accidents involving teeagers , a number of states are considering raising the age for getting a driver's license. On december ,8 , 2005 four teenage boys from atlanta went out for a night dive and had a terrible accident. The state government should raise the driving age from 16 to 18 because teens under the age of 18 are at a high risk for accidents and are easily distracted while driving
Teens only make up seventeen percent of the population today, but almost twenty percent of fatal crashes are due to teenagers behind the wheel. Growing numbers suggest changing the driving age to eighteen and some even believe that changing it to twenty-one may save even more lives. With a sixteen year old behind the wheel, accidents are even more likely to occur when compared to a seventeen year old (Boulard). With so much new technology in today’s society there are more distractions on the road than ever before; therefore the legal driving age should be raised to save more lives. If we do not act quickly, then more lives will be lost.
Engines roaring and cars flying down the highway recklessly, racing to the finish. This is a stereotyped outlook on teen drivers. This however, is not the case. Teens don’t drive to race down the road. They drive for freedom. They drive to get where they need to be on their own. The driving age should not be raised to 18 because it takes away their feeling of freedom, Denies the access to needed transportation, denies experience, It puts additional stress on parents, and they need to be learning the driving skill while they’re young.
More than 5,000 teenagers die while driving each year in the United States (Gregory). In my opinion this is due to three different, yet equally important factors. The first factor is that the teenage mind is yet to be fully developed, causing them to make irresponsible and sometimes reckless decisions. The second factor is that the experience of driving has evolved since the original driving age was established in the early 20th century. The third and final aspect to take into consideration would be that driving is the lowest minimum age of any adult restricted activity in the United States. Although, it can be one of the more harmful, not only to the perspective driver but his or her surroundings as well. Taking all three of these factors into account I believe the minimum driving age should be raised to 18 to decrease the accident rate amongst teenagers.
Sixteen year olds have a higher crash rate than drivers of any other age. “ in 2011, teenagers accounted for 10 percent of motor vehicle crash deaths” (Teen Driving Statistics). For this purpose, Many states have begun to raise the age limit by imposing restrictions on sixteen years old drivers. For example, limiting the number of passengers they can carry while driving. “The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety released a report in May 2012 that showed that the risk of 16- or 17-year old drivers being killed in a crash increases with each additional teenage passenger in the vehicle. The risk increases 44 percent with one passenger; it doubles with two passengers, and quadruples with three or more passengers. The study analyzed crash data and the number of miles driven by 16- and 17-year olds” (Teen Driving Statistics). Another example, is that many people believe that teenage drivers have a race boy/girl mentality. This mean that when any teenager gets into a vehicle of any kind they get some type of thrilled or that the driving laws do not accommodate them in any way, shape, or form. They would go drag race ...
I can connect with this article because I am a teen driver myself. I personally do not believe that the driving age should be lowered. I believe that the driving age should remain the same, with more severe consequences put into place if the law is broken. This article is fairly convincing because the author uses evidence to support his argument. This article is good
Many teens are interested in being able to drive at a younger age, but it is still unclear if they are able to handle it. If the legal driving age is lowered, are we endangering the lives of teen drivers, as well as the passengers with them? I believe most people want to drive as soon as they can. However, recently the government has been trying to pass laws that may change the current driving age of 16. There are positive and negative aspects to changing the laws that allow the driving age to stay at 16.There have been new bills being proposed that mite be passed. “The Minister for Urban Services has introduced a Bill (proposed law) into the Assembly. He wants to amend the Road Transport (Driver Licensing) Act 2000. The new Bill is called the Driving Age Amendment Bill. This Bill is intended to raise the age at which people can apply for a learner’s permit and driver’s license.” (Legislative Assembly). This bill will raise the driving age if it is passed but the aspects of what will happen should be considered before we change it. There are many different reasons why we should keep it at 16. First off it’s a good working system that we have followed for a long time. Another good reason that helps this concept is that the teenagers are still in school so it’s easier for them to take drivers training. If there are more drivers that ultimately mean that more people will be paying for insurance. There are also the reasons why we should change it from 16. Like for instances most 16 year olds aren’t responsible enough to drive. “The facts show that younger drivers (those between ages 16 and 25) receive more citations, are more likely to have their driving privilege suspended, and are responsible for more accidents than drivers in any other age group.” (Dr. Steven Evans). Another reason is that it’s a high cost own a car when they are making so little money.
How old is it to drive? Most would argue the legal driving age of sixteen seems appropriate for someone to begin taking the wheel, while others say that twenty-one is a more sufficient age. Even though raising or maintaining the driving age at sixteen contains both pros and cons, major facts need to come to consideration if the driving age ever increases. As a teenager driving, I believe that people wanting to raise the driving age do not realize the negative effect that that would cause. For instance, if the age increased, teenagers would lose independence and freedom, parents would have to sacrifice their time and freedom, and even though teenagers die in car crashes every year, it would not decrease the overall number of deaths per year.
Many accidents are caused because teenagers are unaware of driving risks and hazardous situations. One piece of evidence that shows that teenagers need driving experience appears in the following quote, “Teens are more likely than older drivers to underestimate dangerous situations or not be able to recognize hazardous situations,” ("Teen Drivers: Get the Facts"). Teenagers will not have enough driving experience if the driving age is lifted. If teenagers are allowed to drive at sixteen then they will be prepared to drive later on. The longer one waits to drive, the longer it takes for them to become prepared for the risks and hazards of
Imagine this: Teenagers are going to have to rely on their parents until they are 18, having little experience, parents letting their 16 year old drive is a convenience, and when they are 16 they experience responsibility. Because teenagers need to learn responsibility, need practice, and need to mature, raising the driving age would be a bad idea. To begin, teenagers would learn more responsibility when they are driving a car. Teenagers would have a way to transport them to their school or job. Teenagers would start to learn how to spend their money on important things because they are always going to have to buy gas for their car. In addition, teenagers would need experience when driving a car. If teenagers were unable to drive if they were