Synthesis Essay: Raising The Driving Age

Driving seems like a simple task, after all most people in the world do it in what seems to be an effortless way. What people fail to talk about are the difficulties of driving after doing it for such a long time, specifically when you reach your elderly years. Elderly drivers are faced with multiple issues when driving on the road, including weather conditions that make them experience fear about driving, medical complications and health status that affect the way they drive, and age-related vulnerabilities that alter the way they used to drive as an adult. Elderly drivers should be required to reapply for their driving licenses to not only ensure the people around them are safe, but also to ensure their own safety.

“Every year 500,000 teens are injured in a car wreck. Every year 5,000 teens die in a car wreck meaning an average of 14 teens die a day. Car crashes are the No. 1 killer of teens in the U.S. Even more than alcohol and drug abuse, violence and suicide”. Teens are always excited to earn their license and drive out on the road for the first time, but not every time will be a success, it might also be their last. I believe that teen’s cause more car crashes because they’re new to driving and don’t know the full responsibilities to the rules of the road. There are many different scenarios that lead to car wrecks, injuries and even deaths, such as texting while operating a vehicle, under the influence, and general lack of knowledge.

Many legislations are limiting the number of passengers teens can carry in the car at a time or excluding them from being able to take late night drives. Many of these rules have already been imposed in Nebraska has implemented in their three stage process. Some states such as New Jersey have completely eliminated the chance of 16 year olds driving without a parent (New York Times, 3). Most states have focused their state representatives on giving teens more driving experience before granting them unrestricted licenses. The new brain research suggests that maturity in a 17 or 18 year old driver is considered safer than a new 16 year old driver due to the fact that, Scientists at the NIH campus in Bethesda, Md., have found that this vital area develops through the teenage years and isn't fully mature until age 25.Even some teens are acknowledging that 16-year-olds are generally not ready to face the life-threatening risks that drivers can encounter behind the

Being able to depend by ownself and be responsible is key to growing as a teenager. Driving solo and doing activities helps a teenager achieve that. They would not have to depend on their parent to drive them places all the time. Recently, my cousin, a sixteen year old, has started to drive on her own, in fact she loves to just drive around and do her own thing. She goes out more and does not have to worry about transportation from my parents. Also, some sixteen year olds are starting to have jobs, so they need ways to get there. Having a parent constantly taking you there is a

Teens are irresponsible because they haven 't fully matured at the age of sixteen. They don 't know how to act responsibly on their own at that age. Minors also don 't take their driving privilege seriously. Most teens don 't have jobs so they won 't be able to pay for their own gas and it would put more stress on the parents.

When the Minimum Legal Drinking Age changed to 21 years old in 1976, there was a decrease in fatal car accidents which saved approximately 21,887 lives (Alcohol Policy MD). Many lives were saved because there were less young drinkers and less people driving under the influence of alcohol. If it were possible to save lives, why wouldn’t you want to do that? An argument is made that if teenagers are allowed the responsibility to drive when they are 16 years old why can’t they drink at an earlier age? This is simply because Alcohol can put people in danger. Drunk driving seems to be a black spot of our civilization. An average of 17,000 individuals die each year in drunk driving related accidents, and drunk driving continues to be an enormously important public safety issue (MADD). With lowering this drinking age we can only expect more cases of drunk driving and more lives are put in danger. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration estimates that about 900 lives are saved annually due to fewer alcohol-related traffic crashes involving underage drivers. Surely, it should be a priority for the society to minimize the death toll from drunk driving. A higher Minimum Legal Drinking Age (MLDA) is effective in preventing alcohol-related deaths and injuries among teenagers and youth. When the MLDA has been lowered, injury and death rates increase, and when the MLDA is increased, death and injury rates decline (Wagenaar, 1993). In addition, a common argument among opponents of a higher MLDA is that because many minors still drink and purchase alcohol, the policy isn't working on minors. The evidence shows, however, that although many youth still consume alcohol, they still drink less and experience fewer alcohol-related injuries and deaths (Wagenaar, 1993). There is also an argument comparing the European alcohol and drunk diving among the youth compared to the United

The numbers are not pretty when it comes to statistics about teenage driving. The statistics and facts about teenage driving would say about them otherwise. The risk of motor vehicle crashes is higher among 16-19-year-olds than among any other age group. In fact, per mile driven, teen drivers ages 16 to 19 are nearly three times more likely than drivers aged 20 and older to be in a fatal crash. This is a serious matter and shows that just by being a teenage driver, that they are not twice as likely, but three times more likely to be involved in a not just a regular car accident but a fatal car accident. It displays how more life threatening it is for a teenage driver and they are more at risk than any other driver. Those accidents can occur from a simple mistake such as a quick glance at a phone, 21% of teen drivers involved in fatal accidents were distracted by their phones. This proves that something as simple as sending a text message can cause an accident resulting in death. At the end of the day, statistics reveal just how bad teenage drivers really

' 'As a teenager under 18 the effects of driving are usually more dangerous ' '.Raising the driving age to 18 would help in preventing car accidents.However,it also brings safety and experience.in this paper I will discuss the benefits of raising the driving age and the effects of not raising it.As I think raising the driving age to 18 is a benefit with less harm.while not raising it will harm lives.therefore,it should be discussed.

For example, teens with a licence can get a job more easily than those who don't. They can transport themselves there, and get shifts that fit their schedules. Many teens get jobs to help pay for tutoring and college. Also, 16-17 year olds with a licence can drive themselves to school. This makes it easier for parents who start work early and families that don't live close to a school. In addition, the main reason that many people are against driving at 16 is because 16-17 year olds are the age group with the most accidents. However, what they don't know, is that the reason behind these accidents is inexperience. If the driving age were indeed raised, there would be just as many accidents. This is because 18 year olds would be inexperienced as well. The earlier teens learn to drive, the more time they have to gain

Driving today is a major accomplishment, and many people use that license as a badge of honor. In today's society, people as young as sixteen are eligible to apply for a driver's license. But, is that necessarily a horrid thing. There are many people who attempt to rob adolescents of their ability to receive a license. I believe that sixteen year olds should be able to keep their driving privileges because you must learn at a young age, it teaches adolescents responsibility, and it makes it easier for teens to maintain a career. Learning to drive is a privilege that I strongly believe teens should keep, and here is why.

Teens practicing their driving more in general, as well as having more experience in potential serious scenarios, would greatly help the cause. Also, teens discussing serious local accidents can make them more aware of just how possible it is for this dilemma to become their own dilemma. A foolproof way to make teens drive more safely is for their parents to make them pay their own tickets and fines (#9). Ultimately, one of the biggest influences for teens is their family, and how their families drive is no exception.

Reform has been at the epicenter of society for years. Humans are far from perfect, and we must work to improve upon our mistakes through change. One blunder that hangs over our heads is the legal driving age of sixteen, and it is imperative that this wrong be righted. As it stands right now, anyone at the age of sixteen can drive a car, granted that they have supervision. But this measly protection pales in comparison with the bigger picture. After all, it will only add to the total loss of life from the various errors performed by sixteen-year-old kids. It is unseemingly to keep something that has time and time proved itself to be appalling. It is for this reason that eighteen should be the age at which adolescents are given cars. The legal driving age should be raised to eighteen because it will keep the streets safer, drivers will be more mature, and it is foolish to oppose this indubitable truth.

The most compelling ideas in Kate Willette’s argument is the idea of other factors other than inexperience and age that contribute to teenagers getting into car accidents. Raising the driving age may simply put teenagers at a higher risk because they would be lacking more experience and the other factors would still exist as problems.

to get behind the wheel of a car and drive without parents. The problem with this is many teenagers take advantage of that privilege and become reckless drivers. The government has put laws in place which prevents teenagers from driving alone for the first year and keeps laws in place so teenagers can’t abuse there laws. Meanwhile, many adults still argue the safety on the road even with restrictions in place. These laws are here to keep everyone on the road safe not only the new drivers. The teenage driving age should not be raised because of the safety and emotional health it provides.

Our lives are unbelievably valuable so we should do everything rational to avoid deaths. Nowadays, teenagers are specifically dangerous due to their recklessness and they are the ones that are more likely to commit car accidents. Delaying when they get their driver’s license, the roads will be more secure. If the age of driving is increased, the amount of car crashes will decrease. For instance, teens think that they’re fearless, which is why they take silly risks unlike mature drivers. Most teenagers think that being able to control the car while speeding means that they drive well. Increasing the driving age will significantly condense car accidents. While some people say teenagers can develop independence, the driving age should be raised to 21 because the level of obesity is high, teenagers are immature, and car accidents are increasing rapidly.