Indiana Graduated Drivers License

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“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.
The current licensing law in Indiana is graduated. It requires teens to be at least 15 to start driver’s education. At 15, a teen who takes driver’s education get a permit; otherwise one has to be 16. One has to have a permit for 180 days. Also, one has to be 16 ½ to get a probationary license if they have taken driver’s education or 16 ¾ years if they haven’t taken it. The probationary license has rules about 50 hours of supervised driving, passengers, nighttime driving, and cellphone use (Teen Driving Requirements). All of these are important, but they don’t seem to be enough.
People who support a higher driving age have many good arguments and question whether teens really need to drive as early as they do now (Gregory). Researchers for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety say that “raising the driving age makes sense and would save lives” (cited in Gregory).They also say that “licensing at later ages would substantially reduce crashes involving teen drivers” (cited in Gregory). It seems like many people agree with them. For example, Crisp states, “Handling several thousand pounds of automobile at highway speeds is ...

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...vers are involved in. Statistics in Illinois and New Jersey support this too (Gregory). While experts could examine what restrictions are the most helpful in cutting teen driver deaths, some solutions could be raising the minimum age to start driver’s education to 15 ¾ and to get a permit with driver’s education to 16. Teens who don’t take driver’s education could get a permit at 16 ¼. After six months, one could get a probationary license. The restriction of 50 supervised hours and limited passengers should stay the same. Nighttime driving could be even more restricted, unless the driver is going to or from work. Cellphone use restrictions should stay the same, and penalties for breaking any driving laws should be strict. Then, at eighteen, one should be prepared for an unrestricted license. This plan could meet the needs of Indiana teenagers and protect them too.

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