Driving Restrictions

Driving Restrictions

There are many accidents everyday that are costing people their lives. My young brothers and most definitely my grandparents would probably kill me for saying so, but there should be some changes made to the laws concerning the age requirements of drivers. If the State of Ohio changed the age requirement of operating a vehicle to between 18-70 years of age, our roads would be much safer to drive on.

If you had told me when I turned sixteen that I couldn't get my license until I turned eighteen, I would have thrown a fit. Now that I am older, I realize that I had no business driving an automobile at 16 years old. I was the typical teenage driver. The cool one, who had the "Detroit lean," with the seat tilted so far back that I couldn't see over the dashboard, and could only reach the pedals with my big toe. There's no way I could hear emergency sirens with the music being turned up so loud that it caused my mirrors shake.

If asked most teens would say that they don't think of the consequences their driving could bring, because if they had then the statistics of fatalities due to car accidents would not be so high. In 1997, according to the US Department of Transportation, 7,885 teens were involved in fatal crashes. They also claim that teen crashes are 4 times the normal rate of accidents. These accidents are occurring because teens tend to take more risks. They drive too fast and usually aren't paying attention to the road and their surroundings. They are too busy playing with the radio, lighting cigarettes, or talking to their friends. I have yet to see a teenager drive down my street at 25mph, it is usually about 40mph. What will it take for the laws to be changed? Is it going to take a politician's little girl being killed by a speeding teen to wake people up? Maybe if we were to take some extra precautions in issuing drivers' licenses, we would not have so many of our young teens dying in car crashes.

Teens should not be permitted to drive until they are 18 years old. They should be able to drive on a temporary permit when they are 16 years old and use it until they turn 18 years old. This permit would allow them to drive only during daylight hours and with a parent/guardian. This would enable the young drivers to become more experienced. The eight hours of drivers training with your instructor is not enough. These teens need to get a feel for the road and learn to drive defensively. If you do not know how to operate a vehicle responsibly, it could be used as a deadly weapon. These young drivers are hurting themselves and other innocent people, because of their lack of experience and their irresponsibility.

The consequences of a teen caught driving under the age of 18, without a parent/guardian, should be suspension of their temporary permit. As a result, the teen will also have to pay steep fines, and have the possibility of losing their privilege of driving until they are 21 years old.

The elderly should also have restrictions. Their driver's license should be renewed every year after they reach 70 years of age. At this time, they should have to take the whole drivers' exam again. The test should consist of a vision, hearing, and regular road test.