Raising The Driving Age Essay

Words: 473
Pages: 2

Raising the legal driving age can save many lives. In 2007, more than 4,000 teens died as occupants of passenger vehicles; 61 percent of them were in vehicles driven by other teens (Lund 1). Research indicates that when teens begin driving at a later age, they’re less likely to get into crashes during their first years on the road (Lund 1). Although most teenagers don’t like the idea of waiting longer to get their licenses, raising the driving age to 17 or 18 would reduce crashes involving young drivers and, in turn, save lives (Lund 1). Tougher licensing laws for teenage drivers have reduced deadly accidents among 16 year olds, but then it increased the fatal crash rate among 18 year olds (O’Connor 26). If the driving age was raised, it would make a big difference in how many people are losing lives every day. Most states began age restrictions, which have been credited with a 30 percent drop in highway fatalities among teenagers (O’Connor 26). On an average day in the USA, 20 teenagers are killed in teen-driven vehicles. Some days are far worse. Crashes that occurred on …show more content…
New medical research helps explain why. The part of the brain that weighs risks and controls impulsive behavior isn’t yet fully developed until about age 25, according to the National Institutes of Health (O’Donnel 2). Teenagers are not mature enough to drive yet. Some may think they are mature and ready to drive because they are smart or because they act like an adult. But a teen will not be prepared because their brains not done growing. The teenage brain is also particularly vulnerable to distraction and peer pressure, and is undergoing explosive development. The front portion of the brain - which includes control of impulses, judgement, and decision-making, and the coordination of multitasking - matures deep into the 20’s, research shows (Gregory 3). This means that teens can make bad decisions while driving in a car or riding with other