Changing The Driving Age

Teen Drivers

By: Heather Setree

For many years there have been 16 year old driving on our roads, but there are more and more fatal accidents from first year drivers. Some of the states allow 16 years old to have a unrestricted license, there is only one state that allows teens to have a unrestricted license at the age of 15. There are 20 states that allow 17 year old have a unrestricted licenses. The rest of the states won't allow teens to drive until they are 18. That is only a total of 7 states. Teen drivers are one of the most dangerous drivers on the road along with their teen passengers. During this I will explain to you the reasoning that teens are having such a higher crash ratings, explain the brain and it functions at the younger teen ages. Then what we can do to help save our children lives before we loose them.

I have watched my son grow for the past five years and he is now 15. In the state of Kansas they allow teens to get a learners premit at the age os 14. But there is no way that I would put a car in the hands of my son. He is to immature to handle a car. He knows how to drive but not by him self or with other teens. When I was 16 I knew how to drive since I was 4 when I learned how to drive on trackers and 4-wheelers. So when I turned 16 I was a pro at driving. In 2003, 937 teens drivers where involved in fatal crashes. Of those crashes 411 of those drivers where killed. There where 352 of their passengers that where killed while teens where driving. 16 years old have 5 times of fatal car crashes then a person that is 20. This is according to the USA Today. (Davis, Robert posted 3/2/05 Is 16 Too Young To Drive a Car? www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2005-03-02-teens-cars-main-usat_x.htm. On the highways today 2 people die in car crashes that involve 16 year old. Within the first year of a driving a 1-5 16 years old will have