Should teens under the age of 18 be allowed to drive?

Driving is a privilege that we all look forward to because it allows us to have a little more freedom. Teens should be aware that driving comes with a lot of responsibility. There are those individuals on the road that are not always cautious of others and it can cause being on the road to be unsafe.

Making it clear that the road can be unsafe for teens is the purpose here. Adolescents are not always aware of the danger they are exposed to when driving.

Distracted teen driver

Main topics :

  • Distractions that can cause teens to be unsafe when on the road.

  • Fatalities that are caused by teenage driving.

  • Teens lacking responsibility

  • Pros and cons of teenage driving

  • Adolescents mentality when on the road

Survey results :

Of the 25 students that were asked this question 80% said yes and the other 20% said no.

Interview summary :

I interviewed a curie student who already received their license. Analia Calixto feels that teens who are under the age of 18 should not be allowed on the road. She pointed out that adolescents under the age can be careless and may not always be aware of the potentials risks when driving. I asked her what came to mind when she hears the term "crash" that involves minor she responded with the following "The term crash paints a mental image of physical harm to someone else and yourself, whether it be intentional or an accident. A teen driver causing a crash can also indicate possible intoxication, recklessness or speeding. "

Personal Opinion :

Although, people may say it is okay for teens to drive by going through a program, nevertheless the roads are not safe for teenage drivers because they can get distracted and be careless, car accidents can be fatal. There are those teenagers that are very impulsive and are going certain speeds they should not be going at. I am guilty of going at a certain speed that I should not have been going at. Just because there were not a lot of cars around doesn't mean I should have been careless.

Do you feel safe about teenage drivers? If the answer is yes, maybe you should reconsider. The issue with teenage drivers is that they can be reckless and irresponsible behind the wheel. From a survey taken of 25 students, 20% felt that teens under the age of 18 should not be allowed to drive and the other 80% said they should be allowed to drive. Although, people may say it is okay for teens to drive by going through a program, nevertheless the roads are not safe for teenage drivers because they can get distracted and be careless, car accidents can be fatal.

Distractions, where should one even begin. Adults struggle with self control when it comes to their cell phones. Now you could imagine what it is like for teens who are addicted to their phones. According to research, studies have shown “32.8% of high school students nationwide have texted or e-mailed while driving.“(Teen Driver Car Accident Statistics) That is one third of teens that are distracted while driving putting others on the road at risk. Texting is a habit that tenagers have. They feel the need to right away respond or send messages which is why they are reckless because they lack good decision making. Analysis provide the following information, “34% of teens ages 16 and 17 admit that they send and respond to text messages while driving.“(Teen Driver Car Accident Statistics) Most teenagers drive without precaution and aren’t aware of the responsibility that comes with being driving.

The most important thing when on the road is your awareness, losing it for just a moment could potentially lead to disaster. Adolescents are exposed to many risks such as intoxication and peer pressure. Driving is something minors need to take into consideration because it is one of, if not the biggest risk you are exposed to. According to Dr. Morris they imply the following, “If you’re going to have an early, untimely death,” said Nichole Morris, a principal researcher at the HumanFIRST Laboratory at the University of Minnesota, “the most dangerous two years of your life are between 16 and 17, and the reason for that is driving.”(Feiler, Bruce) Ages 16 and 17 are gonna be the most dangerous years in adolescents' lives so why should they be allowed on the road knowing how dangerous driving is. You aren’t given a second chance at life. One mistake on the road and it can be life changing or even life ending. In the report Bruce Feiler presents the following information, “In 2013, just under a million teenage drivers were involved in police-reported crashes, according to AAA. These accidents resulted in 373,645 injuries and 2,927 deaths, AAA said.”(Feiler, Bruce) That is more than a quarter million of teens getting injured on the road and a little under three thousand of them dying from car accidents that could have been avoided if the parents had taken more responsibility educating minors with the proper discipline.

We’ve been presented with information from analysts and from a doctor, now let us hear what a teenage driver has to say in an interview. The interviewee is Analia Calixto who is 16 years old and identifies as a female. She had her driver’s permit until a few months ago received her driver’s license. When asked about what came to mind when she heard the term “crash”, she responded with the following, “The term crash paints a mental image of physical harm to someone else and yourself, whether it be intentional or an accident. A teen driver causing a crash can also indicate possible intoxication, recklessness or speeding.”(Calixto, Analia) A minor under the age of 18 who has her license knows that a teen her age can be reckless behind the wheel .There are many benefits that come with minors driving. There is also a lot of negativity that can come with adolescents being on the road. When the interviewee was asked to list some pros and cons she presented the following, ”Pros: traveling will be convenient, gaining independence, more life experience, great responsibility

Cons: fatal accidents, ignoring safety precautions, lack of immaturity, drunk driving, texting while driving, etc” (Calixto, Analia) You have your benefits when driving since it can be convenient and it could also help with teaching teens to be responsible. With those benefits are gonna come the cons of teenage driving and teens are known for a lack of maturity, they may not always take the safety measures that come with being on the road. When driving just a simple mistake can cost the life of a teen or someone else.

In conclusion, adolescents under the age of 18 should not be allowed on the road.

Although, people may say it is okay for minors to be allowed on the road by going through a program , nevertheless the roads are not safe for teenage drivers because overall adolescents can get distracted, be reckless, and car accidents can be fatal. We were presented with information from analysts of disturbance that occurs with teens behind the wheel, we were given statistics from a doctor on car accidents and how many resulted in death and we heard responses from a teenage driver that was interviewed. Therefore minors should wait till their 18 to drive.