thesis statement for raising the driving age to 18

16 Pros and Cons of Raising the Driving Age

The ability to earn a driver’s license at the age of 16 is a rite of passage for many families in the United States. With education programs allowing for the provision of an instructional at the age of 15 1/2 in some communities, it is an exciting stage that occurs for teens during the process of growing up.

Although there are several advantages for a family when another driver can run errands, teen drivers are also at a higher risk of accident or injury compared to any other population demographic. There are specific challenges that young people face behind the wheel because of their general lack of experience while driving as well.

One of the ideas proposed to counter the disadvantages of earning a driver’s license at 16 is the raise the driving age. By allowing for a longer period of instruction, the thought is that young people can become individual drivers with better skills because they have had more time to practice with their parents or instructors.

These are the significant pros and cons of raising the driving age.

List of the Pros of Raising the Driving Age

1. It could reduce the number of fatalities that occur on the road with teen drivers. One-third of the deaths in the 13-19 age demographic occur in motor vehicle crashes each year. That’s because young drivers are more likely to take risks when compared to the older generations behind the wheel. Every additional passenger in a vehicle with a 16- or 17-year-old driver increases the risk of a fatality occurring. Drivers who are 16 also have the highest crash rate than any other age. By requiring an instructor to stay with the teen until they got older, it would allow each young driver a chance to develop more positive habits.

2. It would encourage teens to be more physically active. If the driving age were raised from its current limits, then it would encourage young drivers to be physically active when they want to go somewhere outside of the home. Since getting behind the wheel would be off-limits, there could be an increase in walking, cycling, and other exercise-based movements. With up to 1 in 3 teens in some states being overweight or obese, we could encourage our children to work on their health while they also get more time to practice for their eventual driving test.

3. It would provide more opportunities to gain experience. 75% of the serious crashes that involve teen drivers are due to critical errors that happen behind the wheel. There are three common steps that young people miss when they are driving which account for almost half of all crashes: scanning for traffic and hazards to avoid, going too fast for the current conditions, and being distracted by something inside or outside of the vehicle. Since many new drivers exit their instructional period with significant deficits in these skill areas, the extra experience could help to reduce these risks.

4. It could reduce the cost of automotive insurance for families. When teen drivers are added to their parent’s automotive insurance, the price of a policy typically skyrockets. The average annual rate quoted for a teen driver in the United States is $2,267 as of 2017. Even adding one driver to an existing policy adds more than $600 to the cost of coverage on your vehicles. By raising the driving age, parents could show their child is a safe driver and secure some additional discounts to reduce this financial impact.

Even teens who maintain a clean driving record in the 15-19 age demographic face significantly higher auto insurance rates because they are four times more likely to be in a crash when compared to older drivers. Since rates don’t start to decline until the age of 25, some changes to how we issue a license could be beneficial to everyone.

5. It would create consistency throughout the U.S. for driving standards. Depending on the state where you live, there are different standards in place for when teens can obtain a license or permit. Some geographic regions allow teens as young as 14 to receive a learner’s permit. You can sometimes receive a restricted driver’s license at 16, while others offer an unrestricted adult license at that time. The global standard for driving is 18, but in the U.S., what is legal for a teen in one state might illegal in another.

6. It could reduce the amount of congestion on the road. Because there are fewer drivers on the roadways with an increase in the independent driving age, there could be less congestion in some communities. Schools would require fewer parking spots to accommodate student drivers, which means the land could be used for other facilities or needs. Fewer vehicles would also mean lower emissions generated for our transportation needs since students would carpool or take the bus to school, which could give our environment a small boost.

7. It would allow a teen’s physiology to mature. Science shows us that the human brain tends to be underdeveloped and volatile during one’s teenage years. That is one of the reasons why kids in this age demographic tend to be impulsive, emotionally unstable, and fail to predict what the consequences of their actions will be. Because all of these skills are essential to the driving process, raising the driving age would allow for young people to finish physically maturing in a way that will eventually make them better drivers.

8. It gives new drivers an opportunity to work with today’s intuitive assistance technologies. Driving today is a very different experience for young drivers than it was even a generation ago. Teens in the 1990s were still managing all aspects of the driving experience through their personal skill because vehicles came with minimal features. Now 16-year-olds have access to lane assist technology, automatic braking, and some vehicles can even park themselves. By working with these features early, they can begin to master them as they gain more wisdom behind the wheel.

List of the Cons of Raising the Driving Age

1. It doesn’t guarantee an increase in driving skills. Raising the driving age from 16 to any age does not matter if there isn’t something in the societal infrastructure that provides the new driver with experience. Even someone who gets behind the wheel at age 25 without any experience will struggle in the same ways that a 16-year-old does during their first driving sessions. The only way for this disadvantage to disappear is to offer meaningful, affordable lessons in each community that gets people driving since you can’t learn everything in the classroom environment.

2. It makes the family schedule more challenging to manage. When kids reach a certain age, they begin to manage a job while they are going to school. There are athletic practices to attend, often right after school. If a 16-year-old (or 17) is unable to drive because the driving age was raised, then someone else in the family must step up to provide these transportation services. If that isn’t possible, then carpooling with other families would also be necessary. This added pressure could make it challenging to manage the career responsibilities of the parents in a single-guardian home or one where both are working to make ends meet.

3. It communicates a lack of trust in the young drivers. Although young drivers do make significantly more serious mistakes on the road when compared to others, it would be incorrect to say that 16-year-olds are responsible for every major incident. If we decide to raise the driving age because of these statistics, then we are effectively discriminating against these kids since the same process is not followed for older drivers. This disadvantage shows that we do not trust all drivers of a certain age, even though there are many young teens who are very responsible behind the wheel and never in accidents.

4. It would prevent them from learning the responsibilities of vehicle ownership. The idea of getting behind the wheel is very exciting for most new drivers, but the responsibility of vehicle ownership is a necessary part of the experience. Raising the driving age would prevent some teens from learning about the responsibility of budgeting for fuel expenses while traveling to school and work. You would also miss the experience of applying for an insurance policy or getting added to the parent/guardian plan. There are even the lessons on vehicle maintenance to consider that wouldn’t always be taken as seriously since there is less independence.

5. It could place the safety of our children at risk. Although taking 16-year-olds out of the vehicle would potentially reduce the risk of being in an accident, having them take public transportation or carpool just increases the potential for problems in other areas. Teens who walk, take a bicycle, or ride a bus to school have a higher risk of encountering a dangerous person or situation without adult supervision present to protect them. They have limited mobility without the vehicle to get away. In neighborhoods where the crime rate is high, this issue just trades one problem for another.

6. It eliminates a family’s freedom to choose what is necessary for their needs. It is interesting that the right to drive a vehicle creates a passionate debate about safety when teens can receive training to handle firearms. If we raise the driving age, then kids could legally possess long guns and ammunition in the United States, but they wouldn’t be permitted to get behind the wheel. There are approximately 3,000 automotive related deaths among teens in the United States each year, which is about the same number of kids who die from gunshot wounds. How can we debate the merits of taking a driver’s license away if we will not debate the same need for firearm ownership for young people?

7. It would still leave a patchwork of confusing driving laws. Individual states in the U.S. have the power to regulate what the driving age is within their state borders. Even if every legislature decided to add requirements that stopped 16-year-olds from getting behind the wheel, there would still be differences in state laws that teen drivers would encounter that could get them into trouble if they were unaware of the change. The only want to really see all of the advantages of this idea would be for the federal government to institute a nationwide change somehow. Since the structure of the government makes this a challenging outcome, we may never see the full life-saving benefits which we might achieve when implementing this idea.

8. It would create an economic deficit for the insurance industry. The premiums are so high for teen drivers because of the risks that they pose on the road. Although 16-year-old drivers are at a higher risk of being in an accident, not every kid with a driver’s license has this happen to them. About 60% of teen drivers are never in an accident before the age of 20 when they are behind the wheel. The insurance companies can charge inflated premiums because of the collected statistics today that they wouldn’t be able to do tomorrow with a higher age limit. That action could create some economic deficits that might even put some professionals out of a job.

In Conclusion with the Pros and Cons of Raising the Driving Age

Whether you are for an increase in the driving age or you believe that the current structure in society should remain the same, we can all agree on the need for training above everything else. If an untrained driver of any age gets behind the wheel of a vehicle, then that action increases the risks for everyone else on the road. The problem is often a lack of experience more than it is a problem with maturity or awareness.

Although the rate of accidents drops dramatically when comparing a 16-year-old driver to an 18-year-old one, the data suggests that the reason why this occurs is because of the experience that drivers get behind the wheel. Is it possible to gain that wisdom with a restricted license or a permit that requires another driver to be in the vehicle? Or should an unrestricted adult license be the better solution?

The pros and cons of raising the driving age often create more questions than answers. Some states in the U.S. might offer opportunities that are below the global standard, but the question must be answered by legislatures across the country. If you feel this debate is something that could save lives one day, then contact your state legislators to share with them how you feel.

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Driving age debate: what should be the minimum age requirement?

We discuss if driving age should be increased in countries like the United States or maybe reduced in the areas with currently higher age requirements.

Cars are very practical means of transportation , almost a basic necessity in modern life, but driving them entails a great responsibility. According to the World Health Organization, approximately 1.24 million people died on the world’s roads in 2010 . Almost 500 thousands in the two most populated countries of the world, China and India, and more than 35.000 in the US.

Many factors influence the rate of car accidents, such as the safety of the roads, cars' quality , traffic legislation (including monitoring and fines), and in particular, drivers' training and experience. Deciding  the minimum age for a person to be able to drive is, t hus, one of the most difficult decision the authorities face. The minimum age requirements varied across  different countries , with some areas of the world allowing teenagers to drive with supervision at 14 and freely at 16, while in other countries you need to be 18 (or even 19 in the case of Gibraltar) to be allowed to drive a car by your own.

Driving age debate

In the countries where the driving age is very low (like the United States ) there is a debate about if it would be better to rise the limit to 18.

• Defenders of this position argue that teenagers are more responsible at 18, and also will get more experience driving with supervision a longer time. Car accidents are one of the main causes of deaths  for teenagers, and rising the age limit could reduce mortality. Another argument in favor of public health is that teenagers with a car have more sedentary behaviors, which can increase obesity.
• However, the opponents of increasing the minimum driving age argue that accidents and mortality are consequences of the lower experience of new drivers, and that rising the age requirement will only postpone these accidents. They also state that being able to drive younger helps teenagers be more independent, and allows them to help their family ( shopping , bringing siblings to or from school, etc.).

In other countries, with a higher age requirement, there is a similar debate, about the possibility of reducing the driving age, with similar arguments.

A maximum age too?

Another question in the driving age debate is looking at the other extreme of the population, and ask if there should be a maximum age for elderly people. Eldery drivers are more prone to accidents. In many countries there are increased controls and medical checks for them, but not everywhere. In these case, the question is not to determine an age after which driving would be forbidden, but whereas the current controls are enough.

What is the driving age in your state or country? Do you think it should be reduced or increased? With previous training and appropriate practice,   what should be the legal age to drive a car on your own without supervision?  

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Print Edition

Raise the Driving Age to Keep Our Roads Safe

Olivia Gonzalo , Staff | February 18, 2022

Photo by cottonbro from Pexels

There has recently been debate about whether the legal driving age should be raised from 16 to 18 years old. While many may argue against this statement, there are some valid reasons why this could benefit teens in the long run.

Scientifically, the human brain is volatile and not fully developed during teenage years in the areas of impulse control, emotional stability, and foreseeing the consequences of one’s actions. These skills are crucial for safe driving. Unfortunately, between the ages of 16 and 17, teenagers are more likely to demonstrate impulsive and reckless behavior, which is statistically more likely to cause a car crash.

Having friends in the car can lead to distraction, along with cell phones; teenagers are more likely to want to impress their friends by driving above the speed limit and making risky decisions while under the pressure of their peers. 

Allowing teens to obtain their licenses at an older age will increase their safety as well as that of others. “It would give teens more time to practice and earn the experience they need to drive on the road alone,” said senior Sophia Sullivan. However, some parents are not willing to sacrifice the time it takes to teach their child to drive, inevitably hindering their preparation for adult life.

Some teenagers are more cautious and aware of their environment when driving. Freshman Alex Filiciano agreed that driving all depends on how mature the person is. “Not every teen is immature, but perhaps getting one’s license at the age of 17 or 18 is more ideal,” Filiciano said.

Sophomore Asia Mahgoub disagrees. “I think 16 is a fair age because, as young adults, we need to go out and explore the world on our own,” Mahgoub said.

Today’s intuitive assistance technology in vehicles has become the eyes and ears of people who are more distracted behind the wheel, resulting in fewer fatal accidents. However, no amount of technology could ever prepare a teenager for the dangers of driving. The legal driving age should be raised to at least eighteen for teenagers across the country. It would be a much safer option, not just for the driver’s life, but also for the safety of passengers and other drivers on the road. 

 Teenagers should be able to gain as much practice and experience as possible before getting on the roads. Therefore, raising the driving age is the best way to keep young people, and all other drivers, safe.

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Question of the week Should the legal driving age be raised to 18?

By KATIE YACHERE

In the vast majority of states, the legal, unsupervised driving age is 16. The youngest legal drivers are in South Dakota at 14 years and 6 months old while the oldest minimum age is set at 17 years old in New Jersey. In Pennsylvania, the minimum unsupervised driving age is set at 16 years and 6 months. Personally, I believe that the driver’s age should be raised to 18.

When looking at the overall maturity of teenagers, it is safe to say that raising the minimum driving should be considered. According to the Allstate Blog, “driving accidents are the leading cause of death for people under the age of 18.” Due to the lack of maturity of the teenage brain, teen driver are more susceptible to lapse in judgment, thrill-seeking behavior, mood swings, and impulses that have the potential to negatively affect their driving skills. If a teen’s driving skills are negatively affected, a danger is posed not only to themselves, but other drivers as well.

While not all teens are irresponsible and immature, it may be beneficial to increase the driving age to 18 in order to protect the whole.

By HATTIE LUSTER

Some people believe that the legal driving age in Pennsylvania should be raised to 18. I disagree with this belief, as the current driving age of 16 allows high school students to take on more extracurricular activities and seek employment.

Most teens are able to obtain a driver’s license by their sophomore or junior year of high school. Because of this, many students are able to get part-time jobs because they can drive themselves to work on a regular basis. Getting a job before college allows teens to save more money to put toward their college expenses or other hefty costs that they may be forced to face after high school.

If the driving age was raised to 18, high school students would be unable to drive themselves to work, so many would be unable to get employment before college.

A raised driving age would also complicate many students’ mode of transportation to and from school and extracurricular activities. Numerous teens drive themselves to school and various practices that may be held after school or on the weekends.

This luxury is more convenient for parents too, as they are not responsible for driving their children to school or practices.

I feel that it is very important that the driving age remain the same for many teens. I understand that it can be incredibly difficult for high school students to find transportation to school and other activities if they do not provide it for themselves. The current driving age simply makes life easier for teens.

By JAKE ARDEN

Shanksville

Many older citizens stress that teen drivers have little experience behind the wheel. While this fact is true, it does not mean that the driver’s age should be raised to 18.

Every driver matures at a different rate. Therefore, it is impossible to determine the exact age when a driver would be deemed “safe.” Since all drivers must start driving at some point, 16 seems like a decent age start driving.

Changing the age limit of driving could very well hinder many young citizens from being more self-sufficient.

When someone is younger, they have to be driven around by their parents all of the time which causes a burden on their parents. At the age of 16 a student can drive themselves around to practices and save their parents time and money as well.

When students get their licenses, they become more independent. If driver’s would have to wait to get their license at the age of 18, it would cause them to be dependent on their guardians. Therefore, the driver’s age should not be raised to 18.

By DAVID SAYLOR

Conemaugh Township

The legal driving age should not be raised to 18. As someone who drives to multiple lessons and practices every week, a car is an incredible asset.

Without it, my parents would have to drive me, and I would feel awful for taking up their time. My car allows me to travel freely to my activities and enrich my education. Additionally, a driver’s license provides a sense of freedom and helps develop personal responsibility. The teenage years are a time for self-discovery and it is important that we are able to grow and develop. Cars give us a little more freedom than we might not otherwise have, and I am incredibly thankful for that freedom. It has allowed me to get out of the house and be an independent person rather than a teenager in a family.

I don’t know if I would be the same person I am today if I had to wait until I was 18 to get my license. Through the freedom it has provided, my life has improved for the better.

By KATIE OAKES

I think the drivers’ age should not be raised to the age of 18. Tanis Herwig agrees that it should not be raised to age 18 and says “Students need to be able to learn how to drive and have their license when they graduate so that they do not need to depend on their parents.” Michele Fochtman also agrees saying “Students need the experience of driving.”

But Angelica Johnston disagrees though and says “Teenagers at the age of 16 are very irresponsible when driving.”

(See AGE, A9)

Although her statement is true and teens are irresponsible when first driving, even when turning 18 they will still be irresponsible because they are new drivers and don’t understand the dangers of the road. If they start at 16 they will have time to mature and become responsible drivers that are able to understand the dangers of the road by the time they graduate high school.

By MADELINE MARKER

Berlin Brothersvalley

I do not believe the driving age should be changed. Sixteen-year-olds are considered young adults and should be treated accordingly. The system in place has worked well thus far so why should it be changed?

The current system does not make it easy to obtain a license. A learning driver has to log a specific number of hours under certain conditions to be eligible to test for a license. The only change I would make to the current system is to require 18 year olds to register to vote in order to receive a senior license and the extra privileges that come with it. While I am aware of the Motor Voter Act, I think it should be a requirement for all prospective drivers to register to vote. If 18-year-old males are required to register for Selective Service, why shouldn’t all citizens be required to register to vote? It would then be an individual choice to use the right to vote, but at least registration would be complete.

By SCOUT BEST

Home submission

Without stereotyping teenagers, I would say that it may be prudent to raise the minimum driving age to eighteen. Many 16 year olds have not yet developed the maturity and judgment that is crucial in driving. A lapse of attention for a seemingly-inconsequential second may result in a life or death situation very, very quickly.

In contrast, 18 year olds have had two extra years to develop not only better physical reflexes but also better judgment and a heightened maturity. Eighteen year olds may also have more time to learn about safer driving practices and learn how their actions can impact others. Both of these things are critical for good drivers.

However, while some 16 year olds give teen drivers a bad name, others may serve as model examples for teen drivers. In an opposite scenario, some 18 year olds may be worse drivers than 16 year olds. To a certain extent, there are no absolutes in regard to driving age. Whether 16 or 60, safe driving depends on concentration and attentiveness.

By PATRICK STAHL

Driving is dangerous, especially for unexperienced drivers and those driving near unexperienced drivers. The idea has been presented that the legal driving age should be raised from sixteen to eighteen. I believe that notion overestimates the heightened sense of responsibility and mental capacity of 18 year olds compared to 16 year olds. Change should only be made when there are good reasons to make that change and there aren’t enough good reasons to do so.

Typically, the younger a person, the easier it is for that person to learn something new. In that way, 16 year olds should be able to learn how to drive more easily than eighteen-year-olds.

Almost all new drivers are scared of harming their vehicle and self. Normally, 18 year olds exhibit a greater sense of responsibility than 16 year olds; however, 18 year olds tend to be more equipped to pay for damages they cause to a vehicle than sixteen-year-olds and are therefore likely very similar in their sense of responsibility to not cause a car wreck.

Whether the legal driving age should be raised or not is definitely a worthy debate. It is tough to say for sure, but my stance would be that the age should be left alone.

By TRISTAN WILTROUT

I think that the minimum legal driver’s age is fine as it is. I can’t really see the advantage of raising it any higher. I’m sure that there are other steps that could be taken in the process of applying and testing for a permit and driver’s license which would be much more effective at keeping young drivers (and anyone else on the road) safe.

Back to the idea of raising the age, does an 18-year-old start out driving better than a 16-year-old? Sure, you can argue that they’re more mature, but does that really relate to their ability to drive? Yes, a big part of driving is being conscious of one’s own safety and the safety of other drivers, but there’s also the matter of getting accustomed to just how a vehicle works. And who is to say that most 16 year olds aren’t capable of being cautious anyhow? And would having another two years to mature make all that much of a difference for those that aren’t so cautious?

A better way to improve safety standards of young drivers, in my opinion, would be to enforce stricter driving lessons and tests, rather than waiting for two apparently magical years.

By KARINA PUTMAN

No, no, and another definite no! Of course I do not think the driver’s age should be raised to 18. This is almost 90 percent due to the fact that I am indeed 17 and a driver. If my parents had to drive me everywhere I needed to go, that would not only be 10 times more inconvenient, but also 20 times more embarrassing.

The other 10 percent of the decision that the driver’s age should not be 18 is the correlation between driving and having a job. In personal experience, coordinating a ride to and from work is a job in itself. You almost never can get it perfectly timed. I do not believe that reaching a specific age would assist in driving skills either. If you never drove a car at the age of 16 (Before the test), then you would still be at that skill level at the age of 18. Maturity and age have nothing to do with the quality of driving, so no; I do not believe driver’s age should not be raised to 18.

Should we Raise the Legal Driving Age?

The legal driving age has been a constant debate and every few years another log is thrown onto the fire. Should we really raise the legal age to drive? Would it save lives? If so, how high should we raise it? Currently, most states allow for teen drivers to apply for a driver’s permit 6 months after their 15th birthday. Some say this is way too soon.

Teen Driving is Deadly

It’s an unfortunate truth, but auto accidents are the leading cause of death among teenagers. A 16-year-old is almost twice as likely to die in a car crash than a 30-year-old. And with new issues such as cell phone driving , texting while driving , and other forms of distracted driving , there is good reason to debate this issue. If we can take the most dangerous drivers off the road, we will not only save the lives of young adults, but we will also make the roadways safer for everyone else.

But Driving is Deadly for all Age Groups

As stated, the leading cause of death for 15 to 24-year-olds is auto accidents . They are the only age group where this is true.

However, car crashes are the leading cause of accidental death in all age groups over 4 years old ! Let’s face it, 15 to 24-year-olds aren’t plagued with disease and sickness like older folks are. So it’s only natural that their leading cause of death will be accidental, and will also be the leading accidental death for nearly every age group. So the stats aren’t exactly cut and dry.

The bottom line is that driving is dangerous for ALL ages, not just teens.

Is it Age or Inexperience? Consider These Points.

I s age really the biggest factor to consider? If we raise the legal driving age to, say, 17 years old, wouldn’t 17-year-olds have the highest accident rate simply due to lack of experience? Many argue that our decision-making skills aren’t fully developed at 16 (the legal age at which a license can actually be obtained). However, this is mostly unsubstantiated evidence and since every person develops differently, a blanketed law is going to punish those who are ready.

I’m a truck driver and see this with new truckers. The legal age to receive a commercial driver’s license is 18 years old, but most don’t obtain their commercial driver’s license until after the age of 21. The most dangerous truck drivers on the road are those with under 2 years of experience, regardless of age . It’s likely that if we simply raise the driving age, we will only shift the “problem drivers” to a higher age bracket.

By the way, be sure to check out these tips for driving around semi trucks

Major Issues with Raising the Legal Driving Age

Aside from young teens hating the idea, do we really want our teens dependent upon us for everything? Do we really want to chauffeur our teens everywhere, up until the point they graduate high school, go off to college, or even join the military?

Getting a driver’s license is a ‘right of passage’ so to speak. We have to “let go” at some point or another. Most teens don’t have access to public transit. We need to let them have some freedom. We need to let them get jobs. We need to let them grow up. And learning to drive is one of the very first steps into adulthood. The world is a dangerous place, but we must “let go” at some point.

A Graduated Solution

Every child and every teenager develops in their own unique way. Instead of forcing the government to make blanketed laws, let’s leave things the way they are and force parents to be parents. Allow mom and dad to decide if their child should drive or not. Who knows a teenager better than the teenagers guardian?

Most states have developed a “graduated licensing” program, which has proven to be successful. This includes more time behind the wheel with a supervised and licensed adult, more classroom time, and zero tolerance policies for traffic violations (a violation could result in further training or even license revocation).

Limiting forms of distracted driving is also a good idea. Some states have a graduated rider program. At first, no passengers are allowed unless it’s an adult. After some experience, they can bring more passengers on board. Zero tolerance cell phone use and driving curfew laws have also proven to be successful.

Traditionally, we have given full license privileges to 16 year olds. Instead of simply raising the driving age, we should continue to implement programs which slowly gives more driving privileges to teens as they prove themselves to be safe, trustworthy drivers. Let’s treat this as an experience issue, not an age issue.

Sometimes Life is Worth the Risks

We all live a fine line in life. Just about everything we do is dangerous. We could slip and fall in the shower, get hit by a car crossing the street, or die while riding a roller coaster. Does that mean we shouldn’t do anything in life that is remotely dangerous? Of course not.

Giving teens the ability to drive will give them invaluable life experiences. Yes, driving is risky. It’s risky no matter our age. But driving is one of those things we just can’t avoid in modern society, and teens should be able to experience the world with the freedom driving brings.

Limiting Risks is the Answer

Instead of blanket driving bans or raising the driving age, we should instead find ways to make the transition into adulthood safer for teens. Graduated driver’s license programs have greatly increased safety for teen drivers, along with safer cars, zero-tolerance laws for alcohol and distracted driving, curfews, better driver’s education , and more parental oversight with safe driving apps, dashcams, and GPS tracking.

Instead of arbitrarily raising the driving age, we should continue to explore and research ways to improve driving safety for teens as well as the overall motoring public.

Is the perfect answer? Not by a long shot. However, simply raising the driving age is not necessarily going to make roads safer. This is a fair compromise between safety, and giving teens the freedom they should be able to experience.

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A teen taking a driver's exam. 

• By Luke Duncan 360 Journalist
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Opinion: The legal driving age should not be raised to 18

Luke Duncan

• Dec 11, 2022

NELSONVILLE — When I participated in formal debates during my freshman year of high school, one of the “current issues” my class and I discussed was whether or not the legal driving age should be raised. While no legislation has been passed regarding that, there have been bills that moved forward but never came to fruition. Articles from safewise.com and drive-safely.net list the pros and cons of raising the age, and I think the cons far outweigh the pros. 

Whether or not a teenager is responsible enough to hold a driver’s license should be determined by parents and whoever judges the teen’s driving test rather than age. In some ways, age does determine one’s level of maturity. A person who is 18 could certainly have better judgment than someone who is 16. However, there are immature 18 year olds and mature 16 year olds. Maturity is, in most cases, determined by the way the teen was raised. 

Teens may lose many life opportunities if they can’t start to drive at 16. If they choose to take a College Credit Plus class, they may not have transportation to get there. If they work a job to try and save for college, they may not have transportation. Opportunities like those that could help to further their career may not be possible without their own form of transportation.

The only way teens can improve their driving abilities is to have more experience on the road. If, when they turn 18, they decide to commute to college, they’ll probably have to drive every day. If teens haven’t driven alone until it’s time for college, they won’t be adequately prepared to take that step into adulthood. Having two years of solo driving practice taken away would not be beneficial to anyone’s road or personal safety. 

While I couldn’t find any articles where people definitively agreed that the driving age should be increased, there are likely those that do. They might use a point from an article written by the SafeWise Team for example, saying that by raising it, car crash rates for teens 16-18 will go down significantly. However, this point is not valid. According to the National Safety Council , individuals 16-22 years old had roughly the same fatal crash rate, with a decrease starting around 24 years of age. If the legal age to drive is raised, it would take even longer for that decrease to appear. 

While it is true that young adults do have the most crashes out of any age group, I don’t think it’s age that determines whether or not someone is a good driver. The more experience, the better your driving will be.  

By trying to make the roads safer, those who support raising the age would actually be making the roads more dangerous. As stated before, there isn’t a law or bill being passed currently that would change the driving age. If the government were to pass an article attempting to raise the driving age, I encourage readers to join me in doing what they can within their rights to prevent it from happening.

Luke Duncan is a student journalist with Tri-County Career Center and High School's Sports Journalism and New Media program. 

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Home | Car Safety | Pros and Cons of Raising the Driving Age

Pros and Cons of Raising the Driving Age

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Arguments for raising the driving age

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is running a Put the Phone Away or Pay campaign during distracted driving awareness month, which is each April. Though we are all susceptible to distracted driving, the NHTSA says drivers ages 16-24 are distracted by devices at higher rates than others. Here are some data-based arguments to be made in favor of raising the minimum driving age.

1. It could reduce fatal crashes

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety , the rate of fatal crashes per mile driven is nearly 3 times higher for teens aged 16 to 19 as it is for drivers over the age of 20. 1 It is thought that raising the driving age to 18 could help lower the overall rate of fatal crashes.

2. It could make teens more active

It is thought that removing the option to drive will cause more teens to walk, ride bikes, or use other active options to get places. This could cut back on teenage obesity levels by providing more opportunities for exercise.

3. 18-year-olds are more emotionally mature than 16-year-olds

Emotional maturity increases as we age, and it’s thought that 18-year-olds are more likely to make smart decisions without giving in to peer pressure than 16-year-olds.

Arguments against raising the driving age

Here are two common arguments in favor of keeping things the same.

1. It would limit transportation options for teens

Teens these days may not be as physically active as they ought to be, but they're definitely busy. School, extracurricular activities, jobs, and social events usually require some form of transportation.

If the teens can’t drive themselves, the responsibility for transportation often falls to their parents—who may not have the time or ability—or to public transportation, which may not be readily available. And with most American cities being built with drivers in mind, walking or biking long distances may not be practical or safe either.

All in all, fewer transportation options could limit the opportunities kids have for personal growth at a critical age.

2. Teen car crash stats would skew toward the new minimum age

 The argument here is that the higher crash rates for 16- and 17-year-olds may just be because they are new to driving and lack experience. Delaying the start of driving may just delay that learning and shift the crash rates more toward the 18- and 19-year-olds. 

Teaching teens to be safe drivers

Whichever side of the argument you fall on, we encourage you to stay invested in your child’s safety as they learn to drive.

Consider these gadgets to keep them accountable: 

• A vehicle gps tracker
• A dash cam  
• A driving safety app like Life360

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Raising the Legal Driving Age Research Paper

Introduction.

In the summer of 2005, a driving accident took the life of sixteen year old Alicia when she was out with her sixteen year old boy friend. What was most shocking was that Alicia was wearing her seatbelt, but when her boy friend lost control of the car and the car rammed into a utility pole, the sixteen year old daughter of Dr. Arturo Betancourt was killed instantly (Stafford). One cannot help but feel that perhaps there is much more to driving regulations than the abiding of speed restrictions, seatbelt obligations and traffic signals. The driver was sixteen year old as was the passenger. In the very same regard, numerous arguments have been made in the debate of whether or not the minimum driving age for teenagers should be increased from sixteen to eighteen.

Common ground

A large number of teenagers agree with the fact that the number of increasing accidents involving teenagers is largely because of the submission to adolescent influences on the part of the teenagers (The Standard Times). In a survey performed by The Standard Times that shall be referred to later on in the paper as well, teenagers tend to consider the driving license as a sign of freedom and a key to a carefree world. They begin to see speed and risk as instruments from which they can derive thrill.

Destabilization

There have been speculations that the origin of the increasing number of teenage casualties has been because of the tendency that teenagers have to accelerate to precarious speeds without using the seat belts. By violating basic rules such as speed limits and driving instructions, teenagers put themselves in positions where their decisions become threats to their own lives.

Cost and Consequence

This motion has also been seconded by the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety in the United States which has shown a considerable amount of doubt regarding whether or not 16 remains an age suitable enough to allow teenagers to drive (Dawson College). This statement was given by the institute only after extensive research had been carried out on the subject. The minimum driving age has become the subject of debate in Canada in light of recent accident trends pertaining to young drivers in the region. It is estimated that road accidents take away five thousand (5000) teenagers from their parents every year.

Problem/ Thesis

In light of the facts stated above, the thesis statement of this paper is that the minimum driving age should most certainly be raised from sixteen to eighteen years of age in Canada since it is the only remaining option to decrease the increasing number of teenage road accident casualties.

Opposition claim

However, there is criticism that the solution of the problem does not lie in increasing the minimum driving age but in improving the standards of education of driving education. Teenagers are of the opinion that by increasing the minimum driving age from what it is now, the number of problems created will be more than the number of problems solved.

Reason for opposition claim

In a survey performed by The Standard Times, it was observed that teenagers are of the opinion that having attained their driver’s license they have become free of all obligations related to their transport issues (The Standard Times). They begin to consider and rely upon the option of over speeding to carry out strenuous daily schedules.

Transition based on contrast

However, this does not change the fact that road based driving accidents have now reached a point where they are regarded as the number one killer of teenagers. The graduating license system appears to be doing its job in the regulation of deciding who gets to drive and who does not, but it appears that the system requires assistance, in the form of an increase in the minimum age of the people who are allowed to take the test.

Thesis evaluation claim

Just as was discussed in the last report, this report also chose to draw the reader’s attention to violent, rash and irrational nature that youngsters choose to adopt when they are driving unsupervised (Kelly and Nielson). The report states that in times when youngsters are unsupervised, the chances that excessive speed will be complimented by drinking and a desire to drive without seat belts begins to dominate.

Reason for thesis evaluation claim

At this point, we can draw a significant inference that there is another deeper element that causes youngsters to drive precariously. This element is the fact that youngsters choose to regard the vehicle as an object that is meant to provide them a means of entertainment rather than one that is meant to provide them a means of transport. In this perspective, the subjects choose to concentrate more on their personal selves than on the environment in which their vehicle is moving. The strengthening of this perception through peer pressure and the like causes the focus to move from driving the vehicle to using it as an instrument. However, the fact that the changing of the perception does not change the rapidly moving environment around them causes a clash of actions to take place. This clash of actions is when the accident occurs and damage is suffered by more than one party in most cases.

Supporting evidence

However, this is not the only research study that has revealed complications in the current driving license regulation of the system. Another study by Mary Kelly and Norma Nielson has revealed that merely passing the testing procedures that have been put into place for giving licenses are not enough to evaluate precisely whether or not a person can be a responsible driver when on the road. The report evaluated the driving trends of aged drivers as well as young drivers (OECD/ECMT Transport Research Centre, OECD, European Conference of Ministers of Transport, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, United Nations. Economic Commission for Europe). In relation with younger drivers, the analysts found that there was an element that could not be replaced with practice in the case of teenage drivers. This element was experience . The analysts found that if there was a similarity in the driving accidents in cases of teenage drivers, it was the lack of driving experience that the young drivers had. The report showed that experience allowed drivers to exercise a better understanding of the road signs and serves to allow the drivers to exercise more practical techniques when compared to novice drivers who choose to rely on tips and techniques that they have recently learned of or have only read about before.

The report highlights that novice drivers are able to manage physical and mental tests in controlled driving conditions during driving tests and practices but the complete change in surroundings that they come across when they have to drive on actual terrain puts them into a position to which they have not been exposed to before let alone hold any experience in (Brown, Larson and Saraswati). The report stresses on the point that in times like these, a task as simple as that of changing lanes can become one that can be seriously misjudged and may lead to an otherwise avoidable accident.

Logic behind support

Even though every province in Canada has adopted varying procedural systems to implement a sound system that ensures that only fully trained people are allowed to drive, we can infer from the accident toll that there appears to be a chink in the system that is being overseen by the process that is implemented in the training of drivers.

Needless to say, the move to increase the minimum driving age comes as a revision of a previous decision to allow teenagers to drive at the age of sixteen, but it appears from the casualty counts that the decision has been one that has been taken undue advantage of and the level of sophistication that was expected was not something that can be expected from the mind of a sixteen year old of the modern day world.

Recalling of thesis statement

This brings us back to the thesis statement of the paper about the concern for the fact that the minimum driving age in Canada should be increased if the thousands of lives being lost every year are to be saved.

Should the minimum driving age be increased, it will be a measure that will allow for the purpose of saving lives to be achieved.

The increase in the minimum driving age will allow for teenagers to be kept under adult supervision for the period of their ages that they are most vulnerable to the quips of adolescence and submission to peer pressure.

Negative implications

However, if the minimum driving age is increased and the measure is implemented, we must be wary of the fact that teenagers will not comply with the altered law almost instantly but will have to be taught to do so and that violations of the altered law can be expected for which traffic regulation enforcement agencies should be trained as well.

Prelude in light of consequences

Had the minimum driving age been already increased, countless lives would have been saved. Perhaps had Alicia’s boyfriend chosen to drive the car at a low speed, Alicia’s parents would have had the opportunity to be blessed with the sight of seeing their daughter graduate.

Warrant for conclusion

Therefore, we can conclude from the discussion in the paper that the claim to increase the minimum driving age is indeed well justified and is a measure that should be taken if thousands of lives are to be prevented from being lost every year.

Works Cited

Brown, Benson Bradford, Reed Larson and T. S. Saraswati. The world’s youth: adolescence in eight regions of the globe. Cambridge University Press, 2002.

Dawson College. “Is 16 too young to be driving?; Insurance Institute wants age raised.” The Gazette (2008): E. 5.

Kelly, Mary and Norma Nielson. “Why Age Matters.” CBCA Complete (2006).

OECD/ECMT Transport Research Centre, OECD, European Conference of Ministers of Transport, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, United Nations. Economic Commission for Europe. Young drivers: the road to safety. OECD Publishing, 2006.

Stafford, Rob. The perils of teen driving. 2005. Web.

The Standard Times. Teens speak out on speeding. 1999. Web.

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The Driving Age Should Be Raised to 18

Proper driving age.

At this point you’re probably wondering when you can start driving, but this is way more puzzling than it seems! I chose the driving age to be 18 and not 16, because 18 is when you become a responsible adult about every situation. 

To begin with this, it all should do with what the parents decide. Some parents are less strict about the situation and the safety of their child. While others support the reasoning to raise the driving age to 18. Therefore, “In 2003, there were 937 drivers age 16 who were involved in fatal crashes. In those wrecks, 411 of the 16-year-old drivers died and 352 of their passengers were killed.” (Page 1)

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Only because of the simple causes the road can bring to teenagers that drive. Another acceptable reason why you should raise the driving age is, “16- year- old’s brain is generally far less developed than those of teens just a little older.” (Page 1) At 16 you’re not fully familiar with your surroundings or what might happen that’s dangerous on the road. 

Another reason why the government wants to raise the driving age is, because it’s been witnessed that, “most fatal crashes with 16-year-old drivers (77%) involved driver errors, especially the kind most common among novices. Speeding, overcorrecting after veering off the road, and losing control when facing a roadway obstacle that a more mature driver would be more likely to handle safely.” (Page 2)

Many teens can’t focus and stay in control when their brain in telling them to make sharp moves in a tricky situation. Let’s say if a 16-year-old is driving by themselves and they decide to pass on a red light when another vehicle is coming towards them at an angle. The first reaction to the teenager is telling them to press on their brakes; but all that’s doing is giving the other vehicle a wide opportunity to hit you then and there. First, you should have known to stop at a red light to play it safe or stay on your guard and make sure you don’t make any mistakes! 

A simple situation to prevent accidents at this young of age is to take an adult with you. The adult would guide you and give you on the road advise that you’d need later on. If you accidentally make a simple mistake for example, the wrong turn, forgetting to put on your blinker, or stopping every time at red lights; they’ll tell you.

Your parents are more experienced drivers than you, because they drive almost every day. So, asking them simple questions will help you become as good of drivers as them. Another simple situation to help with less accidents on the road will be practice. “However new drivers that drive a lot under favorable conditions gain experience and become safer drivers…” (Page 4)

Teens that drive way more often tend to get in less accidents. So, would you expect an unexperienced teenager to be driving on a freeway for the first time? Maybe not, so learn how to drive before you go on; this takes practice. At first your scared and less obligated with the road, then after lots of experience you feel much more comfortable being behind the wheel.

In conclusion, 16-year-old brains are not as aware of their surroundings as older teens. Their brains are still developing and experiencing new things which leads them to overreact in some cases. I’d say changing the new driving age to 18 would engage a better and safer community!

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