Teen Driving Age

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Pages: 4

All 50 states in the United States have the driving age at 16, the voting age at 18, and the drinking age at 21. Many people believe that one of these three ages is when a teen becomes an adult. But really, teens transform into adults when they reach the age of 25, or are mentally mature. Lots of other people also believe this, and there were many studies and research to prove this. One study done was by a scientist named Jay Giedd. This scientist experiment focused on the lateral prefrontal cortex of your brain, at the National Institute of Mental Health. When you are in a situation and need to make a decision, this part of your brain kicks in to focus on the long term effects of the decision you're about to make. When driving, at a party, …show more content…
Teenagers are irresponsibility especially while driving. In 2013-2014, there were 5,166 teen deaths in automobiles (Highway safety and research and communication).This deaths occurred from ages 13-19 all over the country. Half of these deaths were in the passenger of the vehicles. There were also surveys done on teen drivers all of the country. 55% of teen drivers said that they don't wear a seatbelt, and 20% of that crashes among teens have happened anywhere from 9pm past midnight. At this hour, teens are not as focused as they would be in the daytime. These simple and easy things to remember while driving can be so fatal when they are not followed. Anyone in the early to mid twenties who is more mentally mature wouldn't make these silly and dangerous errors. In another survey, 22% of young drivers said they have drove with someone who has been under the influence of alcohol.These statistics shows that if teens aren't mature enough to safely operate an automobile. Why should they be considered …show more content…
With various ages and different ideas always being thrown around, many people don’t know what to believe. This article has real information and studies done on brain maturity done by scientist, and specialist focused on maturity. High crime rates in 18-24 year olds, and car crashes caused by irresponsibility clearly states the claim. Teens do not become adults until their brain is fully mature.Sharing this information with friends, family, and young kids could help the better understand the topic. They might have heard many other different opinions but showing this could persuade them to this kind of thinking. Kids become adults when they are physiologically mature and ready to make that next step into adulthood. A certain age isn't always everything, it can vary from one person to another. That’s when a teen makes their transformation into an