What if they changed the driving age to 18?
Photo by CJ Sorg
A new year usually brings new laws. In 2010 one such law requires anyone under 18 to have parental consent to tan indoors, and those under the age of 16 and a half years are not allowed to tan indoors.
If you think indoor tanning is harmless, or that this law is unfair, think again. Researchers have found that indoor tanning can increase your risk for getting skin cancer later in life.
Now you’re probably asking yourself, what does tanning have to do with safe driving?
Research also shows that in a teenage brain, areas that assess risks and decision-making are the last to fully develop. That means you may not care that your chance for skin cancer has increased by using an indoor tanning bed, or you may not think about the risks associated with speeding, not buckling up, or other risky driving behavior.
It is important to be fully informed before you get into any type of situation that has the potential to be dangerous. So read up about indoor tanning before you jump into a tanning bed. And read up on the major dangers for teen drivers before you get behind the wheel.
So how would you feel if lawmakers decided to change the driving age?
Let’s talk about it in the comments section.
whats wrong with everyone only 47 votes! uuuuugggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
people will debate that teen driving should be changed to 18. this is crazy to even concider. ask yourselves would you rather have an 18 year old who is out of the house an not under any supervision learn to drive? or would you rather have a supervised 16 year old being tought to drive, all of the statistics saying teen drivers have higher crash rates are absolutly true. and the reason for this alarmingly high number is inexperience, teen drivers dont have the experience as say a 45 year old driver. besides if you change the driving age to 18 you will soon see that the statistics just turn out to say that 18 year olds have the highest crash rate. and this is because of inexperience!!
Changing the driving age will do nothing. Teens are crashing because it is their first couple of years out on the road. It would be the exact same way if it was 18. They’re going to need to learn how to drive somehow, whether it be at 16, or 18. The problem is unavoidable so why not just leave it alone? There’s nothing we can do about it other than to encourage parents to make sure their kids are driving safe, and maybe making the driving tests harder.
yes but if you look at the statistics from people in other country’s changing there laws it made a huge impact in crash rating’s and i agree it might just be the fact that they are new to the roads but wouldn’t you rather start out knowing you can make better decisions then starting out knowing that you cant make the right decisions.
I think that raising the driving age to 18 will cause more problems that it’s worth and that the government should never even consider this idea. I think this because I am 15 and will be getting my drivers license soon and I think that changing the age to 18 would put those drivers out of their parents and the governments control.(that is until the drivers are pulled over for something). If they changed it now I would be pretty pissed off.
i do agree with the two comments above mine, but i have been doing research about this for a school project. brains are better developed at age 18 than at 16. this is a very interesting article about it…
yes and no people should leave the law alone keep 16 year old teens driving on the road.
I AGREE WITH GIL JUST LEAVE THIS SUBJECT ALONE TO MANY PEOPLE WORRY ABOUT THIS WE SHOULD BE WORRIED ABOUT OTHER THINGS LIKE THE WAR PERHAPS OR EVEN GETTING OUR HOMELESS OF THE STREETS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
True that
Agreed. Definitely on the war.
Brain & auto safety experts state “16 year old’s are to immature to handle today’s cars and roads. Brain researchers at N.I.H. National institute of health explain why efforts to protect teens on the road usually fail. The executive branch of the brain that way’s risks and controls impulsive behavior is not fully developed till the age of 25 but is way more developed at the age of 18 then 16. Also stated my researchers from RMIIA rocky mountain insurance information association state crash rates at age of 16 are higher then all other ages. In fact the crash rates are 3 times higher then crash rates of all other crash ratings at all other ages averaged out. AAA insurance/road side help showed that in 2006 $34 billion was spent on medical bills from crashes for age’s 15-17 alone. On top of that imagine losing someone close to you from them messing up cause they didn’t make the right decision because there brain was not developed enough.
okay, you think dumb cause 16 year olds are good at driving, 18 year olds think there rebel’s and old enough to take all there older friends out of high school, and go to a party! start drinking doing drugs and drive home and wreck!
nicely stated
No, if teens learn to drive at 16, they will have more experience at 18. If teens start driving at 18, they will have the same experience as the 16 year olds.
The only change (if any) will be a bunch of upset teenagers.
I agree on both points and its pointed out every where else on the internet also.
i agree with gil and katrina if you change the driving age it will do nothing so just leave the law alone and if we drive at 16 we will have more experience when we are older dont you think?
Thats a bunch of bull turkey! seirously, just leave the law alone, and plus, NOT every friggin teen gets there drivers licence at that age! it takes awhile, and what autumn clark said , its mostly the older ones, i guess at 18, because, their already in colaage and out of school, so they know all the good party places and stuff, and of course still keep intouch with their high school friends, so they are more likly to engage in a car wreck cause there STUPID! ps..this is coming from a 16 year old so XXXX XX!
i am okay with them!!!
We should Drive At 16
I think that changing the driving age wouldn’t effect that teens are dying everyday because everyone is going to continue to put there lives in danger even though they know that it is dangerous and has caused thousands of death worldwide no matter what the law does there is always going to be those who break them. There isnt a single person who can stress enough how dangerous distracted driving is i think the world needs a wake up call
IGNORANT IGNORANT IGNORANT… majority of you are just plain ignorant in your responses.. where should i start. ok no we should not leave it alone… just because we want to bring up one issue doesnt mean we have to bring up all the issues thats dumb because america is not super man we can only handle so much at one time. The driving age sould be raised to 18 a teenager would have more driving experience without harming others to get it. i got my license at 18 and have never been in a car accident. with the way the law is now teenagers are barely turning 14 15 and parents are teaching them how to drive.. last time i checked it is when your that young you begin to rebel and are so immature and are still a child. majority of you dont want to change the driving age because you are 16 and obvioulsy are biased to the subject. And have no real opinion because your mind has not developed enough to even under stand this simple concept of concern and as shown in previous comments just want to ignore the issue or as you say “leave it alone” explain to me how if you can uinderstand that how you can operate a motor vehicle without endangering others on the road.
i meant if you cant understand that lol typing error
i am 13 and we should be able to drive
13 is way to young. The frontal lobe in the brain doesn’t start to develop until the age of 16. The frontal lobe contributes to decision making and reasoning…
They need more time to learn to drive and learn from their mistakes or make some good driving habits. 16 should be the age to start.
but i think some laws should be set like HAVING to take drivers ED. and having more leasons on driving…
You’ve got to be kidding meit’s so trnsaparntely clear now!