Driving age should not be raised

Introduction

How old is old enough to drive? Most would argue the legal driving age of sixteen appears appropriate for somebody to start taking the wheel, whereas others say that twenty-one could be a more decent age. For many teenagers obtaining their license once they turn sixteen could be a highlight. However, over the years it’s become a lot of unclear whether or not or not sixteen year olds are mature enough to drive. Many different opinions and stats for either side of the discussion exist. Because of the high number of accidents among teens, studies show that raising the driving age will reduce teen accidents. But is that true?

The Convenience of Driving by Yourself

Finally passing your drivers test now it’s time for the new car smell. The first time behind the wheel alone is exciting and nerve-racking. No parents or instructors, just yourself and the car; all decisions are solely made by you. The discussion of keeping the minimum driving age at 16 or raising it to 21 revolves around maturity, but there is more than just that to look at. People eager to raise the driving age don’t notice the negative result that that may cause. After reviewing all pros and cons, the minimum age for being allowed to operate motor vehicles should be kept at 16. The convenience of driving by yourself is incredible and greatly-needed in a teens life. With the very busy and rambunctious schedules of teens now days, the easy transportation by way of a vehicle is essential, 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, and a parent may not always be available to tend to their son or daughter’s needs. As stated in Teen Driving Laws May Just Delay Deadly Crashes “ states have put in place strict teenage driving laws with graduated drivers license program that requires young drivers to meet a certain restrictions before they obtain a full license.” There is not a huge need to worry for the teens parents of their kids making immature decisions like staying out late or having too many people in their vehicle because the law prohibits these actions. “ Rules varying by state, they generally set a minimum age for earning a permit or license and require a set number of supervised hours behind the wheel.

Sense of Independence

Responsibility is key in life, license does seem to provide people with a great sense of independence and freedom. Teenagers need to feel independent in order to find out to become successful on their own as well as understand a way to handle life situations on their own, and having a license appears to be the proper way to begin and most effective way to do so. When teenagers have this independence they tend to act more mature, knowing the responsibilities they must now carry on their own. Learning to drive gives teens that level of responsibility, because if it is not taken serious then a person’s life could become endangered. Some will say that 16 year olds should not be allowed to get behind the wheel so young. Statistics are one of the most contributors to the argument that the driving age should be raised. As stated in Traffic Safety Facts ” In 2008, 12 precent (5, 864) of all drivers involved in fatal crashes were young drivers age 15 to 20 years old” Does that mean that young drivers are more likely to crash and cause a fatal accident than 21 year old drivers? Young drivers crash mostly because of inexperience and distractions, If the driving age is raised then 21 year olds will also crash because of inexperience. As stated in Teenage Driving Laws “ 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” If the minimum driving age is raised then this means that the death rate of 21 year olds will increase, while the death rate of 16 year olds will decrease since they will not even be driving.

Alcohol

The Legal age to drinking age is 21 which is another danger that can increase the fatal number of crashes. Drunk driving may be a primary explanation for road traffic accidents inflicting deaths and injuries with enormous financial prices to society. That means drunk driving might occur which might equal plenty additional deaths. So who would be the safer driver? Whether it is your first time alone behind the wheel or being intoxicated and under the influence. A driver being under the influence of alcohol has affected and devastated countless people’s lives. As Stated in Traffic Safety Facts ” 34 percent of those who did not have valid operators license at the time of the crash also had previous DWI convictions, license suspensions and revocations” Driving under the influence is one among the most dangerous things you’ll place yourself or some other person into. These victims might simply be your friends, relatives, or neighbors. The majority of the injuries related to the alcohol-related crashes are not just cuts and bruises, people got paralyzed, severely disfigured, or lost the ability to live a normal life, work, or play with their children and now rely heavily on the aid of others. Alcohol only affects how your body functions negatively. So putting an inexperienced driver who is of the legal age to drink alcohol is a big no. People believe that teenagers are immature, childish, indecisive and underdeveloped. People feel that the driving age ought to be raised to twenty-one so the society is safer and has more responsible drivers. Most additionally believe that teenagers are the explanation for several deaths and injuries due to their habit of drinking and driving. Teenagers don’t seem to be the age group that drink and drive the most.

Conclusion

Raising the legal driving age from sixteen years of age up to twenty one years of age is not a good idea because not being able to drive would make it difficult for a student to travel to work or college with out legally being able to drive. They will be really anxious to drive and may have bad judgment due to inexperience. Teenagers are not as irresponsible as you think, teenagers need a chance to become more independent. After turning a certain age, youth do not depend on parents as much anymore and become more independent and self-reliant.