Driving Age

Semester Essay # 4 Prompt 10

Most states allow people to get a driver’s license at the age of 16. Some people feel that 16 is much too young for the responsibility that comes with driving a car and that teenagers should not be allowed to drive until the age of 18. In your opinion, at what age should people be allowed to drive, and why?

            Driving a vehicle is both a privilege and a major responsibility. Driving requires a person that can maintain focus, conduct a car as safely as possible, and follow the rules of the road. I believe the driving age should be kept at sixteen in those states who already have that law and that it should be set at sixteen in those states that do not. The driving age should be kept at sixteen because teenagers can handle the responsibility that comes with it and learn safe driving from the beginning.

            Responsibility is an area people will have to face for the rest of their lives because people will always be accountable for something for the rest of their lives. In this case, one will be held accountable for driving in such a manner that the safety of others as well as the driver’s is always a priority. Setting the driving age to sixteen will allow teenagers to learn the previously stated statement better. Although driving is a great way to travel, it is definitely dangerous if not done properly. It is also an area where the longer you drive the better you get at it, or in other words practice makes perfect. Having the driving age at sixteen would be a great way to teach a teenager responsibility, especially because driving is something they look forward to learning, thus it can be expected that if strict rules are enforced teenagers will follow them, just so they can drive. Starting drivers at sixteen will make them all around better drivers.

            However driving will not be a benefit just handed to sixteen year olds. They will have to earn it. As I stated at the beginning driving is a privilege and because the age of sixteen is considered a minor age there are certain requirements that make it a challenge to drive at sixteen. For a teenager to be able to legally drive at the age of sixteen they have to take a driver’s education class, a driver’s training class, pass the written test, have a permit for at least six months, and pass a driver’s test all so they can get their license. So as one can see a teenager legally driving at the age of sixteen has earned their right to drive.

Some people say that sixteen year old drivers are reckless and unsafe but if this were true they wouldn’t have been able to get there license. Sure some teenage drivers are better than others and make dangerous decisions but the same can be said for adults, otherwise we wouldn’t have car accidents everyday. Car accidents in a world where millions of people drive are inevitable; and although teenagers do account for some of those accidents they should not have to take the blame for all of them.

            I learned to drive at the age of sixteen and I have since never gotten in a car accident. I can say from experience that the majority of reckless driver’s I see are adults. It is not fair to use that excuse to deny sixteen year olds the right to drive. I believe sixteen is the perfect age to get a driver’s license. It is not too young to the point where you are incapable of handling responsibility and it is not too old to the point where you are considered an adult. Pushing back the driving age to eighteen will also push back the development of responsibility of teens when it comes to driving. The driving age should be sixteen because teens will learn road responsibility and road safety earlier and with more enthusiasm.