Why should the driving age stay at 16

In the United States the minimum legal driving age is going around 14 and 16, it has been that way since the 1920s. And it makes sense to keep it that way since it has proven to be useful for teens to realize responsibility and learn how to drive at a young age, since the way we work, travel, and life is powered by cars.

South Carolina has adopted graduated driving privileges, which is a sensible way to reduce the risk. In South Carolina teens can get a beginner's permit with a written test at age 15. They are required to have an adult over age 21 with them at all times when they drive. This is a good way to ensure safety when driving. Many teens also have part-time jobs that require trips across town, or from one community into another - areas not served 24/7 by public transportation, if at all. Working parents also often depend on children to drive younger siblings to their various activities. Drivers licenses for teens downstate are often major conveniences for families. This will conveniently make it easier for everyone ("No Need To Increase Minimum Driving Age").

Teens are involved in sports and other extracurricular activities at school, activities that often don't mesh with the hours of working parents. So they need independent transportation. I think that this will also ensure that they are seen as responsible and independent adults, not some irresponsible children.

Although that age group is the most accident predominant, we need to find ways to ensure that they know the true responsibility of driving, and do yearly tests until the age of 21, this might seem a little extreme, but a lot of accidents happen, and we need to make sure that we don’t have anymore accidents. This system has proven very useful in the state of South Carolina, where they need to take a psychiatric exam at the age of 15 to see if they are fit to drive a vehicle, or if they can handle the responsibility. And the prospects for accidents in the future have shown that accidents will drop significantly in the state of South Carolina, and if other states apply this accidents will drop by a lot.

In conclusion it is not a bad choice to keep the legal driving age to 16, unsupervised, but some alterations need to be made like the tests that South Carolina has for 15 year olds, where they test their thoughts and see if they are ready for the road. The future for safety of drivers would be way better if all states adopted this program, and although it is the most accident-prone age group it is a big step down to just raise it and remove all sense of responsibility and independence from these teens.

Teens need to learn to drive at an early age incase there is ever an emergency and they are forced to drive.Teens need to learn responsibility while they’re still in high school so if they make a mistake they can be corrected.The minimum driving age should remain at 16 because teens can transport themselves instead of depending on a parent, they will gain responsibility, and their guardian can use that to keep them under control. The first reason the driving age should remain at 16 is so teens don't have to depend on their parents to transport them places.Parents are constantly having to take their children place. When my brother was in high school my parents used to constantly have to change her plans for him, but when he got his license he could take himself wherever he needed to go.Teens need to get used to taking themselves places because when they get out of school that's the only thing they'll be able to do. Another reason the driving age should remain at 16 is so teens have the opportunity …show more content…
Teens on social media are always with their friends, so if the teen gets their keys or license taken then they'll start listening better because they won't want to be away from their friends. Others may argue that driving is too much responsibility for a 16 year old to have, but teens need the high school time for mistakes and to get corrected. Keeping the driving age at 16 would be the most logical thing to do because teens wouldn’t have to depend on their parents for transportation, it teaches them responsibility, and it will help hem be more disciplined. The teenage crash rate would increase if the driving age went from 16 to 8 because they would get less exposure.The best thing would be for the driving age to stay at

Remember your 16th birthday? When you finally got the right to get behind the wheel of a car? For most us, getting your driver’s license is a truly unforgettable feeling. 

The majority of states in the US have set the driving age to 16, but in some states they make you wait another year until you’re 17. And the process of going from a learner’s permit to a full-fledged driving license has so many differences between states that it’ll make your head spin. 

But whether you think that the driving age should be raised or should stay where it is, it’s worth understanding why the legal driving age is what it is today. 

So, we’re going to lay it out for you. 

Independence!

If you’re reading this, and you’re old enough to drive, you definitely remember getting your driver’s license. The feeling of hitting the road and going  wherever you want for the first time, the immediate connection that you had with your car as a means to more freedom. It was a feeling of INDEPENDENCE!

At the age of 16, almost every kid feels the need to break out of their home and embark on their own journey in life. And getting your driver’s license is the first step in doing just that. 

But many states have opted to delay this freedom another year by moving the age back to 17, probably because they feel that at 16, most kids aren’t quite responsible enough to handle that kind of freedom. But regardless, part of the reason that states have set their legal driving ages where they are is because between 16 and 17 years old, teenagers start feeling that burning need for independence. And nothing scratches that itch quite like ripping your new-to-you Subaru WRX down the road. 

But this independence actually serves a more practical purpose too. Parent’s rarely have much free time, and don’t want to drive their kids to and from school, football practice, the movie theatre, and wherever else they want to go every single day. Setting the legal driving age at 16 or 17 relieves this pressure on families so that young people can get where they need to go without constantly annoying the hell out of their parents.

Believe me, your mom may have kept a smile on every time she brought you to the mall to meet your friends, but I guarantee she would’ve rather had you drive your own damn self. So, go give your mom a hug for all those annoying times she had to play chauffeur. 

More Time to Gain Experience

Another major reason behind setting the legal driving age at 16 or 17 is that it would give kids the opportunity to gain more experience on the road. After all, you’ve got to learn sometime. Why not get it done early?

Well, this has been a pretty controversial debate. Whether it’s better to let kids on the road earlier so that they can gain experience, or whether it’s better to keep them off the road until they are responsible enough to drive a car.

Look, I’m not here to make a judgement on that either way. I’m not a politician, or a police officer, and I’m pretty sure I’m not your dad. But it is pretty much universally true that if you’ve never driven a car, you’re probably going to be a pretty bad driver on your first go. So even if they did raise the driving age to 18 or 19, new drivers are new drivers. 

However, there’s also the argument that at 16 or 17, kids aren’t mentally or physically developed enough to handle a car or make good judgements on the road, whereas at 18 or 19 they might be more prepared. 

What’s the answer to this trade-off? Who’s to say? Certainly not me, I’m just your friendly neighborhood car enthusiast.

Increased Responsibility

If you’ve ever been a kid, which I assume most of you have, you remember chores. Taking out the trash, mopping the floor, doing laundry. Yes, it definitely felt like cruel and unusual punishment when you were stuck doing chores while all your friends were out tik toking the renegade or whatever you kids do these days. But those  chores teach them responsibility. And many have argued that letting teens drive operates on pretty much the same principle. 

Being let loose on the road immediately forces you to learn to be responsible with your own life and the lives of others. You have to learn the rules of the road, how to take care of your car, how to keep yourself out of trouble, how to properly initiate a drift, how to swap in an LS1, how to outrun a cop, how to do the stare and drive. Sorry, I’m rambling.

Essentially, driving a car teaches you the important lesson that with increased freedom comes increased responsibility. But many people think that this baptism by fire approach comes at a price that’s just too heavy. Because let’s face it, none of us were all that responsible at 16 or 17. 

And there are people out there who think that a motor vehicle is just too dangerous to be trusted in the hands of someone that young. Obviously, the only way to learn is to screw up and face the consequences, but in the case of a motor accident, the consequence could involve someone losing their life. 

It’s a tough question to answer: is it better to give our young people the opportunity to learn and grow into responsible adults on the road, or is it just too much of a risk to let people who may not think about their actions drive a 100mph steel-body death machine? You tell me. 

Parental Bonding?

If you’re like me, your parents always insisted on being in the car with you for the first couple of months after you got your license. And well, they kind of cramp your style (love you mom and dad).

And while these laws are infuriating to the kids driving, more often than not, the intention is that new drivers have some sort of grace period of being accompanied by their parents before taking to the streets all alone. 

In fact, many states have probationary periods in which having a parent in the car with a new driver is 100% mandatory! And while I would urge all parents to hop in that passenger seat and make sure your kid learns good driving habits before you cut them loose in the world, it’s unclear whether or not people actually do this, or just let their teenagers run wild with a set of wheels. 

In my case, having my dad teach me to drive was a nice experience in hindsight, even if at the time I wanted nothing more than to rip up the pavement all by myself. But the sentimental value of these experiences aside, I think that having a parent present for the first couple months of driving can lead to much safer driving habits further down the road.

Don’t get me wrong, I still like doing donuts and going pedal to the metal sometimes. But within reason. 

The point here is that while many of the driving age laws across the USA make provisions saying that parents should be present in the car until they feel their child is equipped to drive safely, it seems like sometimes it just doesn’t shake out that way. 

It’s a Tough Issue

Regardless of whether or not you think the legal driving age should be changed, you’ve got to admit it’s a difficult issue. There are plenty of decent arguments both for keepingthe driving age where it is, and for raising it. There’s even some super solid arguments for changing the driving age to 8 years old! Wait… no there aren’t… what? That’s ridiculous. 

But you get the point, at the end of the day, it’s definitely a debate worth having, because people’s lives are at stake. 

Sure, having teenagers start driving earlier takes a serious burden off of their parents, it teaches them responsibility, and gives them more time to learn on the road. But teen drivers are also far more likely to be involved in a collision. 

There are a lot of pros and cons to weigh on either side for sure. So let your voice be heard and tell your government officials where you stand on this issue! Our right to speak our minds is what makes this country so great! Say it with me! U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!

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