Teenage Driving
Essay by Maxi • September 22, 2011 • Essay • 889 Words (4 Pages) • 1,971 Views
One of the most important day in a teenagers life is turning sixteen and getting their license. The government shouldn't extend the age that teenagers get their license. Eighteen is too old to just be getting a license. Adults say that teenagers are bad drivers but why would they be any better drivers if they were eighteen? Getting a license at sixteen is an important milestone and freedom for teenagers.
Teenagers need the experience to become better drivers and getting a license at sixteen gives them plenty of practice. If they wait until teenagers are eighteen there are going to be just as many wrecks as there are when teenagers get them at sixteen. "Thus laws that delay when and under what conditions teens may drive might in fact put all drivers at risk by preventing teen drivers from gaining valuable driving experience". (Males) If teenagers get their license at an older age it would just give them less experience when they get older. Most teenagers get how to drive from their parents and learn from them. "When statistics control for poverty and lack of experience, a comparison reveals little difference in crash rates between teen and adult drivers. In fact, teen crash rates decrease sharply among teens who drive regularly". (Males) When it comes down to it there isn't much difference in the crash rates between teenagers and adults, teenagers who drive more regularly become better drivers. If teenage drivers have more experience they will become better drivers in the long run.
Most teenage drivers get their driving skills from their parents and learn from their parents. When children grow up they watch their parents drive them everywhere and how they control the wheel and how fast to go. "Put bluntly the problem isn't adolescents' underdeveloped brains but older generations' underdeveloped ethics in failing to share resources equitably to prevent youth poverty and in providing rationally-based transitions that allow youth to gain experience with adult behaviors". (Males) Adults don't give teenagers enough resources and practice to be good drivers when they first their drivers license. "Unfortunately, research reveals that many parents speed and talk on the cell phones while driving, behaviors that increase the risk of traffic accidents". (Gerdes) Most teenage drivers see their parents doing these things and they think it's okay to do the same thing, therefore causing more wrecks. Pretty much most teenage drivers get their driving skills from their parents so parents should set a better example for their children.
Other people besides teenage drivers have more risk to get in wrecks also but they don't threaten to take their licenses away. When the media describes the differences between teenage driving and adult drivers they make it sound more extreme than it really is. "Traffic safety measures should target risky conditions, not the
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