Should the driving age be raised to 21 or stay the same?

UCANTCME

RAISED..................

OCTOBER 2008

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among 15- to 20-year olds.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, 3,490 drivers in this age group died in motor vehicle crashes in 2006 and an additional 272,000 were injured.

Drivers age 15- to 20-years old accounted for 12.9 percent of all the drivers involved in fatal crashes and 16 percent of all the drivers involved in police-reported crashes.

Twenty-five percent of teen drivers killed were intoxicated. In 2006 (latest data available) crashes involving 15 to 17 year olds cost more than $34 billion nationwide, in medical costs, property damage and other costs, according to an AAA analysis.

Among licensed drivers, young people between the ages of 15 and 20 have the highest rate of fatal crashes relative to other age groups, including the elderly.

In fact, the risk of being involved in a fatal crash for teens is three times greater than for drivers age 65 to 69.

Immaturity and lack of driving experience are the two main factors leading to the high crash rate among teens.

Jen

RAISED. Heck, Im 33 and I cant drive a nail! ahahah. I mean, I had my first serious accident this morning and I was a nervous wreck. I couldnt imagine how a teen would feel in the same situation. Emotionally, they arent mature enough to handle if something deterimental happened.

U 2

Raised for the same reason that UCANTCME has stated.

Old Man Dirt

Stay where it is.
If they are old enough to get into the armed forces, they should be old enough to drive.

dirtytricksracing@sbcglobal.net

Raised then the roads would be safer.

Adam

it should be raised to 35 for women, but reduced to 11 for guys.

lawanny j

Im for raising the driving age to 18 but i think 21 is a little bit harsh so many people under 21 have jobs now and children and not being able to drive can be a big hassle. I don't feel its the age i feel its who's responsible and who isn't.

beagle

Here is some sobering information that will help answer your question:

Car accidents are the number-one cause of death for U.S. teens today. In fact, the risk of accidents is higher among youths age 15 to 20 than any other age group. Mile for mile, teenage drivers are four times more likely to get into an accident than older drivers. Here are more frightening facts related to teenage drivers and auto accidents:

* In 2006, 3,490 drivers between the ages of 15 and 20 died in car accidents.
* An additional 272,000 teens were injured in 2006.
* In 2002, the estimated cost of reported accidents involving drivers age 15 to 20 was $40.8 billion.
* Teenage drivers are three times more likely to be involved in a fatal car accident than elderly drivers age 65 to 69.
* In 2005, teens accounted for 10% of the U.S. population--and 12% of car accident-related deaths.

It goes without saying that teenagers are responsible for a disproportionate number of car accidents. But what are the reasons behind this?

* Inexperience. Since they receive only a limited opportunity to learn to drive under adult supervision, teenage drivers simply aren't skilled enough to drive in bad weather, at nighttime, or in unusual road conditions. Teens typically underestimate dangerous driving situations or fail to recognize them at all, leading to an increased risk for accidents.

* Peer pressure. Friends are an integral part of being a teenager. Unfortunately, encouragement by friends often leads teens to take risks they normally would not when alone, such as racing in their vehicles, driving at excessive speeds, drinking or taking drugs while driving, or neglecting to wear their seatbelt.

* Feeling of invincibility. As a rule, most teenagers believe that nothing bad will ever happen to them--only to other people. This false sense of security can lead to daring behavior when it comes to the road.

* Low seatbelt use. Teenage drivers have the lowest rate of seatbelt use when compared to other age groups.

* Drinking and partying while driving. Though it may seem unreasonable to most, many teens freely drink, dance and engage in drug use while a vehicle is in motion. This behavior leads to lack of focus on the driver's part and resulting careless acts. Among male drivers between the ages of 15 and 20 who were involved in deadly car accidents in 2005, 24% had been drinking at the time the crash occurred.

* Cell phones. Use of cell phones while driving has been the subject of much controversy in recent years. According to an Allstate Foundation survey conducted between March and July 2005, 56% of teenage drivers use them while driving. Most agree that cell phones and other mobile devices are a major source of distraction for drivers, and that drivers should pull over to the side of the road before making or answering a call.

The above information does not mean that there are no responsible drivers under the age of 21. Nor does it mean that drivers 21 and older are better drivers. There are many teen drivers that are reasonable, sensible and responsible drivers. Some so much so that they put to shame drivers who may be in their 30s, 40s and 50s.

But since it has been proven that the risk for causing accidents is higher (between 15-20 ) than any other age group then it only makes sense to raise the minimum age to 21. While there are many young people who are quite capable of operating a motor vehicle safely and responsibly there are no provisions to grant a license on a case by case basis. Unfortunately, some young people end up paying the price be it with age limit being raised or in higher premiums for their age group.

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