The Legal Driving Age

The Legal Driving Age

As I was driving the other day I came upon a red accord driving at least twenty miles over the speed limit and swerving in and out of traffic, and as I saw the driver speed past me, I noticed the driver was on the phone and appeared no older than sixteen. Driving is one thing that should be taken seriously. A life can be taken with one careless mistake on the road. Maturity and practice are the only ways to secure safe driving. The legal driving age should be changed from sixteen to eighteen for the following reasons; young teens don’t fully understand the consequences of the road, they haven’t had enough practice, and sixteen year olds are just not mature enough to be driving. If the legal driving age changed to eighteen years old, I believe our roads will become a safer mode of transportation for everyone.

A major controversy today is how video games are affecting kids’ minds. For example, in the game “Grand Theft Auto,” you can steal cars, run over things, jump over ramps and all you get is a little scratch on your bumper. I know this is extreme, but do teens really know the full extent of damage they can cause while driving? Most teens have heard stories or seen accidents, but many have not experienced them. It is hard enough for young teenagers to follow classroom or even their own parents’ rules, which is why it doesn’t make sense that the state expects them to follow the rules of the road. It is a normal habit for a new driver to blast their music and do almost anything else while driving rather than focus. Young teens that have never been in an accident don’t understand that in one second of not paying attention your life can be turned around. In 2005, about 41,345 people lost their lives to automobile accidents, a number that would be greatly reduced if it weren’t for careless mistakes. Sixteen year olds are just not ready and need a lot more experience and life lessons before they get behind the wheel.

As of now, Florida Law states that at 15 years old you may operate a motor vehicle as long as an adult over 21 years old is supervising in the passenger seat. The old saying goes, "practice makes perfect." One year of practice behind the wheel is not enough time to be perfect. On the road everything should be perfect. The consequences are too high and keep growing. A recent study shows that 14% of all car accidents in the U.S. are caused by teenagers. When you are eighteen years old, you are considered an adult and are inclined to take things more seriously. If the law was changed, at eighteen you would have had three years of practice