Debate, Should the Driving Age Change?
Yes to at least 18 years of age…………… 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 2002 (latest data available) the estimated economic cost of police-reported crashes involving drivers between the ages of 15 and 20 was $40.8 billion, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA, http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov ). 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,
I think that the driving age is fine where it is… altough it depends on the situation. like mine for instance… i grew up in the country and my parents didnt have time to take me to school and pick me up after sports practice…. so i got my LPE when i was 14…. however, I do think that young drivers should ahve to go through a training program for longer than they do now….. especially city children who dont have the privaliage of learning how to drive out in the country out of harms way before their feet even reach the pedals…
