Safe Driving Essay

Everyone has felt that feeling where they cannot wait to learn how to drive and to get behind the wheel. Little do they know, driving causes a number of deaths every year. Teen drivers are involved in more car-related accidents than any other drivers. The minimum driving age should be raised from 16 to 18 because 16 year olds are more accident prone, 18 year olds are more experienced, and a 16 year old’s brain is not as developed as it is at 18 years old.

With a graduated license, teens will earn the experience they need to become skilled drivers. According to the text, “Studies show that it is inexperience, not age, that causes accidents.” Think about it: could changing the age from 16 to 18 really prevent accidents or just put more inexperienced adults on the roads? Teens make up 7 percent of all drivers, but are involved in 20 percent of all accidents. The reason being is that many teens do not have the road experience necessary to make safe driving decisions.

“The risk of motor vehicle crashes is higher among 16 to 19 year olds than among any other age group.” (Teen Drivers: Fact Sheet 1) “The presence of teen passengers increases the crash risk of unsupervised teen drivers. The risk increases with the number of teen passengers.” (Teen Drivers: Fact Sheet 1) In the United States motor vehicle accidents are the number one cause death in teens. “In 2010, seven teens ages 16 to 19 died every day from motor vehicle injuries.” (Teen Drivers: Fact Sheet 2) This alarming number of casualties could be prevented by educating our teenage drivers prior to them being on their own and operating a couple ton weighing

Driver’s Education courses are important for a new driver.  Drivers Education is proven to help young driver’s become familiar with driving and to learn important defensive driving techniques.  Our mission at Greenbrier High School should be to incorporate a Driver’s Education course into the curriculum for their students.  Teens from the ages 16-19 have the highest accident rate in the nation.  It is important for teens to complete a Driver’s Ed course so they can learn road safety rules, traffic rules and regulations, and defensive driving strategies.

In 2013, more than 2,500 teenagers died in the United States from motor vehicle crash injuries. Such injuries are by far the leading public health problem for young people 13-19 years old (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety [IIHS], 2014). Drivers are not the only ones at risk. Teenagers who are passengers in others vehicles make up a startling 87% of the fatality statistic. Lack of driving experience, disregard for traffic laws, and quick access to full driving privileges contribute to teen death. To reduce teen driving fatalities, successful completion of driver education classes provided by public and private schools should be mandatory for all teenagers prior to receiving their driving permit.

An extreme number of research and data have pointed out that teens are not equipped with safe driving skills. These numbers have lead to countless arguments between teens and adults. All though teens are more interested in their phone then a car they still have a desire to get onto the road. The car offers an immense amount of self conscious and maturity to a teen. This is one of the main points as to why teens are so eager to get out on the road as soon as possible. If and when they do get on the road they look right past the consequences that may occur with driving at such a young age. Without a doubt teenage drivers are very inexperienced when it comes to their first trips on the road because the only prior training they can get is practice

Shari Roan in “Should the driving age be raised” talks about the controversial issue all American families face when it comes to teens driving and the safety of others. She states that in a nationwide analysis the number of fatal crashes between the ages 16 and 17 year old drivers have fallen and the number of fatal crashes between the ages of 18 and 19 year old drivers have risen by almost the same amount. She states that the combination of immaturity and inexperience makes teen drivers particularly vulnerable to motor vehicle accidents. She also explains that car crashes are the leading cause of death among teens resulting in 4,054 fatalities in 2008 according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in Arlington Va.

As teenagers are leaving their homes, cities, and in many cases, states, to attend colleges, driving has become an integral part in a teen’s life. However, many states are putting heavy restrictions on teen drivers to keep not only them safe, but the rest of the community as well. But that has not been enough- teen drivers still are a major problem on the road due partly to their lack of mental development. This has pushed some states to consider raising minimum driving age, eliminating the whole problem of inexperience in drivers. The minimum age should not raised, however, because it will not help the issue of road safety.

Statistics show that ‘in 2011, about 2,650 teens in the United States aged 16-19 were killed’ and almost 300,000 teens were severely injured from fatal crashes. Every day, 7 teens die from car crashes/injuries. Newly licensed drivers who are aged 16-19 are at a higher risk of fatal crashes than drivers aged 20 and over. As well, many of these crashes are caused by teens that text, talk, or drink and drive. Inexperienced drivers, who are many 16 -19 year olds in the United States cause higher insurance, accidents and crashes, and so, the legal driving age should be increased to 18.

“Driving mishaps can happen to anyone, but they happen all too frequently to teenage drivers because of their lacking significant experience behind the wheel…in recent years, safety experts, elected officials, and public policy experts have focused on strengthening such state laws with the goal of making the roads safer for teens. ” (Andrews, 2) New laws should be made to keep teens and the road a safer place.  The driving age should be raised to 18 to reduce many dangers.

A driving education course will remove any questions and concerns a young driver many experience ultimately making them more suitable for the road. With many of the current driving accidents tied to teens, we notice teen drivers need further training. When such training is implemented prior to receiving ones licence the roads will become safer and teen parents minds will be at ease. Contrary to popular beliefs driving does not improve with age.

Multiple studies and surveys show how deadly a vehicle can be when the driver is a teen. Teenagers are given a responsibility at the age of sixteen that they are simply not ready for. They lack the ability to stay focused on the road, and often times get distracted by cell phones or other objects inside the car that more experienced drivers know to avoid. Fortunately, the negative impact that teen driving presents can be altogether halted. Teens can find alternative ways of transit such as buses or asking family members for a ride. Mandatory driving programs can be implemented which focus on helping teens prove they can be responsible, trustworthy drivers. Most importantly, the legal driving age can be adjusted to twenty one to ensure all drivers retain the right knowledge for safe

Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for teens and young adults. More than 5,000 young people die every year in car crashes and thousands more are injured. Drivers who are 16 years old are more than 20 times as likely to have a crash, as are other drivers. There are two main reasons why teens are at a higher for being in a car crash and lack of driving experience and their tendency to take risks while driving. Teens drive faster and do not control the car as well as more experienced drivers. Their judgment in traffic is often insufficient to avoid a crash. In addition, teens do most of their driving at night, which can be even more difficult. Standard driver's education classes include 30 hours of classroom teaching and 6 hours of behind-the-wheel training. This is not enough time to fully train a new driver. Teen drivers are more like to be influence by peers and other stresses and distractions. This can lead to reckless driving behaviors such as speeding, driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol, and not wearing safety belts. There is no safe amount that you can drink and still drive. Even one drink can influence your driving offences. “Nowadays, drunk driving has become driving while intoxicated, driving while impaired, driving while under the influence, operating while under the influence (impaired, intoxicated, or whatever), and in many

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.

On a daily basis, millions of teenagers around the United States use driving as their main source of transportation. Many teens are interested in being able to drive at a younger age, even after obtaining a driving permit, were driving is a very complex skill that must be practiced numerous times to be safe not just by yourself but to others around you. The moment that a teen can drive is the moment that they have matured to be a more responsible and caring adult that is ready to take on the world. When I got my driver’s license I was so relieve that I was no able to drive myself without asking others for rides. Although I may be qualified to drive on the road, I challenge myself if I was able to do the task. Two of the duties that defined me as a well-rounded driver of today is my car and my friends.