The Minimum Driving Age Should Be Raised to 18

Raising the age does not guarantee a reduction in deaths. Rather, it would just change the statistics from “17 to 20 year olds” to “18 to 21 year olds”. The reason why drivers crash is a lack of experience, and an 18 year old with one year’s worth of experience is just as likely to crash as a 17 year old with one year’s experience. For that matter, it would be the same with a 35 year old with one year’s experience. Raising the age therefore would not dramatically increase deaths and injuries. You may be able to change the age, but you can’t change the people!

Additionally, one cannot say logically that one must raise the driving age because teenagers are harming others and/or being harmed while driving. For example, a parallel can be found in driving statistics for males versus females. According to studies, males of all ages are 77% more likely to kill someone when driving than females. It would be just as illogical to raise the driving age to 18 as to ban males from driving.it won’t help if your sitting on tour butt for two more years doing nothing you might be more mature at 18 but that doesn’t mean your mature enough for the road.

Everybody is different. To say that someone at the age of seventeen is not mentally mature is a sweeping generalisation. Some people by the age of 18 may well not have reached what the proposition cite as “full mental maturity”. Some people may never reach “full mental maturity”. We mature at different rates, and therefore we have safeguards to ensure that those driving have sufficient “mental maturity”, and it’s called “the driving test”. If you haven’t passed, you can’t legally drive without a person who has held a full clean licence for three years with you. Doing so is breaking the law and is punished. Raising the age to 18 would have no effect whatsoever because the driving test is there to ensure the “mental maturity” of the driver before he is fully qualified. Peole are going to be the same no matter how old they are! There are some people that are 20 years old and above that are still not mature. It so depends on what type of person you are. People need to grow up sometime.

Im 17 years old, didnt take drivers ed, took ten questions for my written drivers test (in oklahoma), failed my behind the seat drivers test, went back got a hundred, have yet to be pulled over, and get a ticket. Never got in a wreck, dont talk on my cell phone, can drive in cities like LA and San Francisco no problem. And see many many many horrible drivers everywhere i go. I dont think the age limit should be raised, i think if you mess up once you lose your privilege to drive period. Stupid biased point.

I’m a female from the u.k and disagree that 17 year olds are immature. Some are but not all of us it’s mainly “boy racers” that crash not everybody else. Adults are also liable to crash. So don’t raise the age because It’s pointless waste of time and money.

The proposition forgets that drivers are not “let loose” on the roads, but that they must take a test first to ensure their driving proficiency. And to generalise and say that 17 year olds are immature is wrong. In fact, many boy-racers are over the age of 20 at least. Look at the presenters and audience of Top Gear.

People should have the choice as to whether they drive or use other forms of transport. If the government wanted to promote greener transport then it should do it in a way that does not just discriminate against young people.

Also not everybody has access to public transport especially young people! This in turn would be a much less effective way for young people to get about as they would become more reliant on others, like their parents, to get them about which is not always practical.

This has nothing to do with raising the legal driving age. First off there is already a restriction that states that a driver under the age of 18 cannot have more than one non-family member under 18 as a passenger in their car. Get your facts straight. And why should all younger drivers be penalised for the mistakes for a few. As some studies have shown 77% of males of all ages are more likely to kill someone than a female, so should be also ban males from having passengers? Also I thought the ‘P’ plate process was a ‘settling down’ process, where PROVISIONAL drivers are watched more closely than open drivers..

So instead all the 18 year old drivers are the ones not smart enough to go to University or the ones who do go but had very little time to practice. Now you will just have the poor 18 year old drivers giving their smart friends rides to school. great.

17 Years of age is a good age to start. Most teens are in there prime from 16 – 26. Those are the best years that they WILL have the best reaction time. In the USA in some states it is 14 to drive. For example, I Iowa they let you drive at the age of 14. That could be bad or good. But the thing is they keep you in a certain area until they reach a certain age. Then you can go across the country. But they don’t let anyone under 18 drive anywhere but the home state. So whats the difference in the USA?

If an applicant is 17 years of age or younger when they apply for their learner permit, they must hold the learner permit for six months before applying for a driver license.

However, if the applicant turns 18 during the holding period, they may apply for their driver license upon turning 18.

The six-month learner permit holding requirement does not apply to an applicant who is age 18 or older at the time of application for the learner permit.

sources:
http://www.2pass.co.uk/ages2.htm
http://publicsafety.utah.gov/dld/minor_learner_permits.html

Sure, but the percentage? I highly doubt so. All you are doing is discriminating against young drivers and reducing number of drivers and cars on the road. It could lower the number of accidents, too, if I just chose that no one could drive who is over 70.

not exactly true because it’s not only teens that are demonstrating wreck-less driving. My mom is a very cautious driver and the other day we were going home and our light was green and we didn’t go right away but before we got a chance to go a truck ran the light and was going at least 65-80 mph. and when you looked at the driver it was someone who was at least 30 years old.

Why are we still living in the past then, for instance, the media does not promote things they used to in the past ( I.e. Cigarettes) Knowledge has furthered so people know how the clogs twist and turn in the minds of teenagers.

If we ban driving until eighteen then younger teens will feel compelled to drive just to contradict the law, and therefore lowering opinions on driving for under 18s. This situation is neither win win nor lose lose.

Police will disagree ofcourse because they uphold the law, i’m not badmouthing all police officers but if the law were to be changed then would go along with it just fine unless some put their foot down. Whether they like it or not teenagers are the next generation so what can they do to prevent that.

Well, over the past ten years, many countries, and parts in the U.S. have committed to a special program known as GDL (Graduated Driver Licensing.) This means that new drivers have to go through two or more restrictions before they earn a full license. According to http://Www.Idebate.org, GDL has shown a tremendous decrease of teenager yearly-deaths on and OFF the road!!!

Many teens under the age of 18 feel more than capable. Some of the maturity levels of teens under the age of 18 are higher than others. raising the age limit will also increase the crime rate oof teens under the age limit commiting offences. Controvesy is the last thing that is needed especially when dealing with teenagers. The current age limit is perhaps one of few things keeping crime rates low. rasing the age limit will increase teen offences.

not all should be punished for the careless few that are driving. I think that if they made the driving test more complicated than it would reduce the wreckless teens on the road. So why punish all teens by banning driving from the ones who know how to do the right thing?

So why don’t the parents take the phone from the teens when they’re driving and give them back later. I think that sited texting while driving should automatically be a ticket. DON’T PUNISH ALL TEENS for the CARELESS FEW.

I’m sorry but I disagree with you completely.
Yes, I agree there are SOME immature sixteen year olds out there who are like that, but you can’t stereotype ALL sixteen year olds because of something idiotic someone else of that age did.

I’m sixteen years old and I drive better then half the “adults” on the road I see these days.

There are people of ALL ages driving on the road reckless because they think they’re an adult therefore they can get off the hook.

I know people who were OLDER then 16 – more like between the ages of 18 − 30 – who’ve been caught drunk driving or even dying but they don’t expect it to happen to them because they’re “responsible drivers”

When driving, it’s not the age that mostly matters. What mostly matters is if you’re MATURE and RESPONSIBLE.

In countries such as America and Australia the minimum driving age is even lower. This would seem to set a precedent that it is ok. even thuogh they think that we are to young will will still have better grades and better abilities to do thinhgs for more people and jobs.

By raising the age it does not guarantee that accidents will decrease. They may simply just be delayed by one year as drivers are having accidents a year later. This would be the case if the accidents were caused primarily by lack of experience as opposed to age.

In addition, carrying out any change just to see if it works is generally a poor idea. If it is not broken, do not fix it.

Without personal mobility, young people are restricted as to where they go and when they go. This not only has implications for the human rights of young people, but may have further reaching impacts such as a hit on the economy if younger people find that their ability to work is constrained.

Restrict the freedom of young people? Are you kidding? Freedom is everything to young people. If you take that away then what do they have? Just because someone is young doesn’t mean they are incapable of driving safe. In fact the younger the driver the more they learn.

If you do this, this may cause more teenagers to drive illegally.

Instead of simply raising the minimum age, alternative proposals could be made. These could include making tests harder to pass, imposing a compulsory number of practise hours or legislating new restrictions on young drivers once they have passed such as not being able to drive at night.

The difference between 17 and 18 is insignificant, if you want to make a real difference to accidents cause by inexperienced, immature and unimaginative drivers then a more radical change is necessary. It would be possible to offer free or heavily subsidised travel on public transport for young people up to the age of 21 which would encourage more environmentally friendly attitudes in the next generation.

While a teenager is still living at home, parents can provide them with guidance and assistance in the process of learning to drive. Parents can supervise them when they are practicing, and teach them certain basic safety rules.

At age 18, many are in college and/or living away from home, and do not have access to parental guidance. This may lead them to learn from less experienced drivers such as their peers of the same age, or even attempt to teach themselves without instruction. This is undoubtedly very dangerous and potentially hazardous, as a new driver who has not yet mastered driving may panic and cause tragic accidents.

In Australia the legal age to get your learners is 16-17 in most states. During the course where you learn to drive you must complete hours of supervised learning by an instructor or another experience driver such as your parents. If the parents dont have enough time to ‘supervise and assist them’ are they very good parents? I mean, that is the role of a parent in general right?

It is a known fact that young adults often stay out late. Without the ability to drive, they will have to resort to other means of transportation, most likely walking or public transit. Most parents would probably not want their teenagers walking home alone late at night.

Yes, many young drivers have accidents due to inexperience, but doesn’t that mean that maybe instead they need more experience rather than this chance being delayed? Also, in the same way, a high propensity of older drivers have fatal accidents due to inability, despite extensive experience, so it is unfair to judge a group such as this based solely on one years difference in age.

Young drivers cause the most crashes because of inexperience not lack of maturity. No matter at what age people start driving, they will have accidents because they have little experience. This question only arises because young people are easy to blame. An adult who has just started to drive has as many crashes statistically as a young person.It is not ALL teens that are dangerous just a small percent. Did you know men are 77% more likely to kill someone while driving then women so does that mean we need to only let women drive? this is the same thing you are stereo typing teens unfairly! In addition to that what if 18 year olds got their lisense at 16 wich totally disproves your point,when you said studies show that 16 year olds have more car crashes thent 18 year olds!

Than wouldnt the brain of a 21 year old be more developed than an 18 year old’s? And think about it but most of the hoons on the road are in their 20’s not their teens.

Teenagers may walk in less dangerous areas when going to school. Some teens may walk in the shadows of bad parents and may live in bad neighborhoods and can’t do anything about it. You wouldn’t want your child walking and then getting shot would you?

18 year olds are not more mature than their fellow teengers just because they have less peer pressure. Some might be but that doesn’t go for all, 18 year olds get the news that they’re now adults by the government so ofcourse they will act all sophisticated to boost their young ‘responsible adult’ status but that’s not always the case. If you give younger teens a chance to drive then they would drive and some will even make sure not to accidentally run a red light but if they delay until 18 then more said 18 year olds won’t bother driving because what would be the point other than location.

In conclusion all I’m saying is that 15-17 are revved up to a new experience other than school work.

Males are 77% more likely to kill someone while driving than females.[http://teacher.scholastic.com/scholasticnews/indepth/upfront/debate/index.asp?article=d0508]] Is it logical to ban males from driving? Likewise, it is illogical to raise the driving age because teenagers are harming or being harmed while driving more than others.

People have this overly assertive position against 16 year old drivers from driving and believe they should take the iniative to raise the legal age to start at 18. Assumptions cannot me made over the general population of teens because of a tiny percentage of other teens who are irresponsible. A lack of maturity does not factor into these situations because learning to drive is gained by experience. As 18 year olds they are not obligated as drivers to have other requirements other than take the driver’s test to obtain their licenses. Would you believe an 18 year old with no prior learning experience is more prepared than a 16 year old who has completed all the necessary requirements and above?

The driving age should not be raised to 18 because driving takes training and sitting on your butt for two more years is not going to put any more expirence in you. No matter what age you start driving, you will be inexperience. So you minds well start out at 16 where you are still in high school and are not going to college or start working. I’ll gradutate high school at 17, so it would be nice to have a license before I graduate, so I dont have to worry about learning how to drive and take the test, when I am on my own. Plus, the only way to know how to drive in the winter, know the speed limit, where pot holes are, and how to handle sharp turns is to get out on the road and drive.

When teenagers allowed to have their freedom to travel with supervision, letting them drive gives them more thought to responsibility.