I have to write a essay. do you think that the drivers license law should be 16 or 18?

dvj1900

I would say 16 because with the amount of education that kids are getting about driving and being out on their own for the first time theres gonna be accidents whether you're 16 or 18. I remember reading/hearing on the news they did a study and it turned out that elderly drivers where at the same risk of having an accident then a newly licensed teenager. I think with enough practice and education there should be no reason that a 16 year old can't be out on the streets.

starryeyed

18 is better. Neurologically and socailly, people of this age have calmed down JUST a little bit.
They are more likely to be either entering the work force on a F/T basis, or needing the car for school, etc.
They have a sense that this is the shift into a new life, even if not REAL LIFE yet, and they need to do the right thing and keep the vehicle or access to the vehicle.
16 year olds are more likely to be "cool" and stupid.
They have college two years ahead, which is not now, and therefore not relevant, in the mind of one so young.
So, the consequences or perceived consequences are too limited.
Plus, the emotional self-regulation is a little better at 18. Emotional regualtion means not zoning out when you're upset b/c your BF or GF just x,y,z, and you're crying but you HAVE to get to sports practice, or work, or whatever. And 18 year old may or may not, but is more likely to, take a cab, wait and calm down, or jsut not have to zone out or cry in the first place!
So they're too excited to drive, and too irresponsible to focus.
Not ALL, just SOME.
And those SOME are enough to get my 12 year old killed on his bike, you see?

Sarah

I think it should be 17, you know in the middle. A teen doesn't have to wait two years just one. Then the person will be a little more mature and yet still get enough experience. That way there might not be as many teen car accidents. Teens want to get their license early because it means more freedom. Yet what they fail to realize is that it also brings more responsibility. Driving and getting your license may seem like the end-all-be-all of coolness, but honestly it's not really a big deal after your first 6 months to a year of having your license; then you just become a chaufuer for your friends and that can get annoying.
Hope this helped!

â™¥Brown Eyed Chef in Training â™¥

I think it being 16 is fine. I mean, parents have such a hard time trying to run the kids to all sorts of practices and such. If the child could take him/herself to the practice and then bring him/herself home, then the parent wouldn't be having to be at home waiting for a phone call to see when they need picked up. Plus with a teenager who drives, it can help the parent, they can take siblings to the same place...and help them transport them.

T Rom

i am 20yrs old and i think that teens should get thier licences at 18 because ialready lots 4 friends in car acciedents. trust me driving early is not worth it

gracefulrider

Hi Joleen,

I suggest you write that it is the wrong question. There are lots of ways to regulate the licensing of teenage drivers besides setting age restrictions. The real question is, 'what do we want to accomplish with restrictions on driver's licenses for teenagers?' Answers to that would be
1. to reduce accidents, deaths and injuries
2. to improve enforcement and compliance.

That opens the door to much more creative thinking and a variety of answers. Here in New Mexico we recently changed the law. Now we have what is called a provisional license. Other states have gone to this too. The teenager can get a provisional license at age 16 with parental permission. They are not allowed to drive at certain hours (I think between midnight and 6 am) and they are not allowed to carry more than one other non-family member in the car. These rules don't apply if a parent or guardian is in the car. If they have not had violations, they can get a full license at age 18. The state makes the provisional license look very different so it is easy to spot. The information and photo are 'vertical' instead of 'horizontal'. This is also an easily spotted red flag if a kid is trying to buy tobacco or alchohol or get into a bar.

This law forces the parent to be involved in the licensing of young drivers. I think there are also some insurance companies that offer reduced rates for teenagers who keep their grades up. Not sure of the details, could be if they keep a certain GPA. Also, the New Mexico state law on DWI sets a much stricter level for teenagers on blood alchohol levels as measured in a breath test.

Hope this helps

Rico

18. not so much because younger drivers get into more accidents but just to lower the population of drivers in major cities to minimize traffic. if a 16 year old really NEEDS a car then i think actions could be taken to restrict his/her rights (driving only to school, work, pick up little brother/sister, etc). but no teenager really needs a car. take the bus. most teenagers want to drive just so they can say they can. i don't know how many friends i had that ran around school bragging about their drivers license. i went all through high school without a car and still went out every weekend. hope this helps.

rakolakowski@prodigy.net

Driving age limits are a tough issue. There are plenty of sixteen year olds that are more trustworthy than some thirty year olds. There should be some sort of test that determines a persons maturity.

Roadkill

i believe the law should be at 16, because the earlier you learn to drive, the better a driver you will be later in life

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