Teenagers have the highest average of annual traffic violations than any other age group in the U.S. (Teen Drivers:Get The Facts). This may be one reason why over 100 countries, including most of Europe, have a minimum driving age set at 18. Although the debate over raising the driving age to 18, in the U.S, has been an ongoing argument for many years, researchers have found that raising the driving age would drastically impact the U.S in a positive way. (McBride). Parents say that this would be a benefit because teens would be held responsible for their own actions, since they would be an adult, and parent involvement would no longer be necessary. They also say they want to keep their teen’s safe but not sure if raising the age by 2 years would actually help. Scientist has concluded that even though it is only by 2 years the brain is more developed and teens are more mature.(Crowe). Meaning they would be more focused on the road instead of other distractions. Raising the driving age to 18 would be the best decision for the U.S. …show more content…
This means that if a teen wrecks and it is his/hers fault it comes back on the parent(s).(The Minimum Driving Age Should Be Raised To 18). This would be a benefit to raising the driving age to 18 because then the teen would be considered an adult and parents would no longer be held accountable for their child/children actions while driving. In August, 2014 a father was sentenced 6½ years in prison because his 16 year old daughter struck another car and killed 3 teens.(Noman). She was unharmed, besides a few scrapes and scratches. The parents of the killed teens said she got off way too easy and she should have really been the one charged.(Noman).Although the dad had nothing to do with the wreck, he was the one who had to face the consequences of her
“I am superman; I am invincible”, is what one young man thought of himself on August 30, 2009. He left a friend’s house with a young woman in the car with him; it was a dark night and he was feeling good about himself. He thought he would try to impress the young girl and went way too fast. As he topped the hill, he ran off the road, over-corrected, and lost control of his vehicle. The accident claimed both their lives. Numerous car accidents involve young teenage drivers. Raising the minimum driving age to 16 would greatly reduce the number of automobile accidents involving teen drivers because they lack experience on the road, they lack maturity, and they would have less accidents resulting in safer roads.
Most people look forward to their 16th birthday because they are legal to drive. In 2012 there was 13,891 car crashes were reported but over 900 people were killed. Alcohol played a role in 260 fatal crashes. Speeding was a factor in13.2 percent of fatal crashes. So should we Michigan raise the driving age? Yes, Michigan’s driving age should be raised because of the number of people getting killed , having distractions and the fact that teens don’t care what could happen.
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
Car crashes are the leading cause of severe injury and death among teenagers. "In 2010, seven teens aged 16-19 died everyday from motor vehicle injuries." (Injury Prevention and Control: Motor Vehicle Safety) The reason these accidents are happening is because too many teens are getting behind the wheel without enough experience or common sense. Many studies have shown that teens are more likely to be distracted, experiment with drugs and alcohol, and take more risks in general with their vehicles. Many states have tried to negate these risks buy increasing the amount of experience a teen driver must need but the statistics show that may not be enough. There are many ways we can decrease the amount of accidents and deaths to our teen drivers, one of which is increasing the age to get a driver's license.
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.
If people want to save lives by raising the driving age, then how about saving lives by allowing only women to drive? Except raising the driving age won't save lives. Studies show that it is inexperience, not age, that causes accidents. Raising the driving age will just create inexperienced, accident-prone drivers at 18 instead of 16. Teens need the ability to drive just as much as anyone else—to get to school,
I also believe that raising the age to 18 will give a driver more experience with a car. To get a license, they have to have at least 60 hours of driving, and must pass the driver’s exam test. Many people assume that after passing all of these requirements they would be an experienced driver, but some are not. While waiting in the grocery parking lot, I notice how bad a driver pulls out of the parking and wonder how they got their license. By raising the age to 18 a teenager can have more experience with a car.
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.
One big debate that people have had, is whether the driving age should or should not be raised. However, the minimum driving age should not be raised because it prevents later crashes, gives the younger kids early self-driving experience, and the drivers are not as confident. Driving at an earlier age prevents crashes in the future. A nationwide study provided this following, "A nationwide study shows that tougher licensing laws for teenage drivers have reduced deadly accidents among 16-year-olds; but with an unintended consequence: increasing the fatal crash rate among 18-year-olds" (O'Connor 1-4). The study showed that a kid who took longer to start driving, had a higher risk of crashing to years later, usually around 18 years old.
... middle of paper ... ... Even though teen drivers make up a small percentage of the population, the most fatal crashes are the result of one behind the wheel; therefore the legal driving age needs to be raised to eighteen years of age. Works Cited Becerra, Judith J. - "The 'Baby The “Teen Driving” Academic Source Premier.
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.
I think that the driving age should be lowered. One reason is because your parents my get hurt and they need you to drive them to the hospital. Or if you're an only child you might have to drive if your dad and mom split up. You might need to drive them to the hospital or the store. You might also need to go get your mom or dad at the hospital.
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
“The one thing that unites all human beings, regardless of age, gender, religion, economic status, or ethnic background, is that, deep down inside, we all believe that we are above-average drivers.” - Dave Berry
In addition to teenagers gaining independence and freedom with a license, parents also gain more freedom as well. Teenagers who cannot drive rely heavily on parents, siblings, and other people to chauffeur them around. Not only does this cost more for the driver, but schedule arrangements must constantly be made and even cancelled in order to drive teenagers to where needed.... ... middle of paper ... ... Deciding to raise the age does not seem like a prime choice, because not only does the argument include age as a factor, but it greatly affects the lives of everyday people.