The day I got my license I was so excited to be able to have the freedom to drive whoever and wherever I wanted to. Then I remember I have to wait 9 months due to the restrictions that the State of Maine has. Even though most people think the 9 month restriction is reasonable, Maine should change the 9 month restriction for new drivers because 42/50 states allow at least 1 person in the car after getting your license for a varying amount of time, most teen drivers will break the 9 month rule anyways and Maine is the 9th safest state for drivers but has the 2nd most strict new driver’s restriction. A big reason why Maine has this restriction is because it is believed that having a person in the car is a distraction. Out of the 50 states in
In this article by Donna St. George, titled “Teens Are in No Rush to Drive,” she writes about teenagers who are waiting to get their driver’s license. Teenagers in this day of age are more busy and have more to do. Be transport from place to place since being a child, teens are use to their parents driving them. With phones, teens have an easy access to the internet which makes them want to get on social media. Along with smartphones and texting that teens don’t need to get into a car and visit friends. With new laws and requirements getting licenses is a lot more complicated and time-consuming. Sixty hours of practice and 300 to 600 dollars for private driving schools. With gas and insurance for the car, it makes driving too much to afford
Distracted driving includes not only texting and calling, but also eating, navigation, and conversing with passengers. (Idaho Transportation Department). This is a serious problem, and danger to not only ourselves, but those around us. On any given day between when the
In the state of Arizona, teenagers that are 15 years and six months can apply for their learner’s permit. A written driving test of basic driving laws and rules is then taken. Upon passing the new driver is given six months to drive a minimum of 30 daytime hours and 10 nighttime hours, with a licensed driver present. This allows teens to become comfortable driving alongside a licensed driver before taking on the task of driving alone. After the six month period of practicing, the teenager can take the driving part of the exam to attain their driver’s license. “Crash risk is particularly high during the first months of licensure.” (Teen Drivers: Fact Sheet 1) The need for more driving practice and defensive driving is relevant.
“Traffic accidents are the leading cause of death for American teenagers, accounting for about a third of all deaths in that age group” (Crisp). In actual numbers, motor vehicle crashes kill more than 5,000 teenagers every year (Gregory). These statistics are frightening and have led more than 50 percent of adults to support higher required ages for drivers’ licenses (Gregory). Teenagers, though, say this would be unfair and would make their lives difficult. Meeting the needs of Indiana teenagers while still keeping them and other drivers safe can be accomplished by a more restrictive graduated licensing law.
Most parents think getting their teens their driver's license will lift a weight off of their backs when in reality it seems to only do the opposite once the facts of insurance and statistics come into play. The article “Teen Drivers” provides some statistic such as, “A driver’s licence is a ticket to freedom! At last, teens can drive themselves to school, work and recreational activities .”(“Teen Driving,” par 1) This is a fact of how this small piece of plastic placed in the hands on a teen can be seen as a ticket to freedom. Another thing the article states is, “Parents are thrilled because they do not have to chauffeur the kids around anymore.”(“Teen Driving, par 2) This statement reveals how parents get their freedom back as well teens are gaining their first taste of freedom. But also with this freedom most teens don't realize just how scary the road is and when their parents are no longer driving with them they become nervous and many not be as safe as they could be, which leads me to the thought of many they should choose to take certain steps to create safe driving
Teens should not have to wait until they earn a high school diploma to drive. When a teen graduates high school they will have to go out into the real world with no experience of driving. If they get it two years prior to graduating there is plenty of
David Hosansky states that the use of cell phones and texting should not be allowed while driving. The increased uses of cell phones and texting while driving has become the center of safety conversations. In fact, there are more than 5,000 deaths related to the use of cell phones and texting while driving over the last decade. Even if laws were put in place it is believed that motorists would still find it hard to put down their phones down. Hosansky also gave an example on the hazards of texting while driving, especially among young drivers. There are very few states that have implemented laws restricting the use of cell phones or texting while driving. David Hosansky is a freelance writer in the Denver area. This article seems to have been written for the general public and thought to be informative. I found this especially helpful and informative in finding this is not just a local problem.
Research indicates that despite the common sense risks, few state laws specifically banning their use exist leading to the conclusion that this is a dangerous problem. While many states are moving towards straitening their existing laws or implementing “Distracted Driver” laws, the continued implications of allowing drivers to distract themselves is growing exponentially. For example, in the State of Maine, our legislature enacted a bill, which upon approval was added into law as Maine Title 29-A MRSA, § 2119 (Distracted). This law, which basically defined just texting as a distraction, did nothing towards curbing the use of major distractions while driving. Except for newly licensed, young drivers, there is no prohibition on cell phone use while driving in Maine; however, all Maine drivers are prohibited from texting while driving.
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.
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.
In the 1990's teens would get full licensing and all privileges with little or no testing at all. It wasn’t until 1995 when around twenty states required a learning permit, but the system was still very weak, as teens only had to keep their permit for two to three weeks. But somehow, teen drivers are not as dangerous as they are today. Experts say it is mostly because of deadly distractions in and out of the vehicle (Boulard 38). In 2003, teenagers topped the charts with ten teenagers dying each day in a motor vehicle; that's over thirty-six hundred kids dying because of weak, bendy laws that are meant to protect them....
Many young people are already out seeking jobs and rely on their parents for transportation which can be difficult due to work schedules conflicting or sports schedules too. Drivers who wait longer to get their license at the age of 21 are less experienced and independent than those at 16 or even 18 years of age. While driving is dangerous, it also can is good for those who need it. It is not the car that causes the accidents it is the person who is behind the wheel choosing to be safe.
The traumatic horror stories of teens texting and driving have scared families across the nation with the tragic results it can have. Savage elaborates on the rule stating, “ Maine and New Jersey recognize that young drivers talking on their cell phones are not focused on the road, which led the aforementioned states to outlaw it for drivers under the age of 21” (3). Being on your cell phone while driving should be outlawed for everyone because it is dangerous no matter what age you are. Therefore, I support states that put restrictions on cell phone usage while operating vehicles. Although, saying “under the age of 21” is referring to teens which implies that all teens text and drive or have the tendency to. We already know that not all teens text and drive based on what we know about Samantha. Therefore, I do believe that they are jumping on the bandwagon that thinks all teens text and
That moment every teenager waits several months even years for comes that one day, and you get the butterfly sensation in your stomach, has finally arrived. All of the preparation they have done and completed will finally be recognized. You don 't realize how driving could really impact your life the way it does, it doesn 't seem like you really ever need it as much as people think. People use transportation every day whether it be: the bus, bike, or a car; living in the city makes driving become necessity. Learning to drive isn 't just to get yourself to school and maybe to McDonalds and back home, most jobs nowadays require a driver 's license: journalism, truck driving(think about it, if we didn 't have these people we wouldn 't be able
Driving a car and obtaining a driver’s license does perhaps seem to provide people with a great sense of independence and freedom. Teenagers need to feel independent in order to learn to become successful on their own as well as realize how to handle life situations on their own, and having a license seems the perfect start and most effective way to do so. When teenagers feel this independence they tend to act more mature, knowing the responsibilities they must now carry on their own (More4Kids). Teenagers often look forward to the freedom that driving offers as well. Teenagers are able to take drives to escape from life’s many stressed, and leave any troubles at home behind without rebelling out against their loved ones.