Should the driving age be raised to 18?
This question has been around since I learned to drive in the mid 80's, and probably longer than that. It is a question that has sparked much controversy, with valid arguments from both sides of the fence. It has also caused much angst for many a teen, as rumors are constantly flowing from older teens to younger teens about how the law has already changed. Well, the fact is, that in most places the law has not changed, at least not yet.
I definitely have an opinion on this issue, but I am very interested in hearing what you think about it. This is, by no means, an exhaustive list, but here are some things to consider before posting your comments:
Safety Concerns
Safety concerns are the driving force behind most proponents of raising the driving age. The statistics for newly licensed 16 year olds are alarming. Studies report that this group is 6 to 10 times more likely to have a collision than a 25-70 year old. Driving is also the leading cause of death for this age group. There are also some surprising new studies that show that the brain of a 16 year old is less developed, and has higher levels of chemicals related to taking risks, than the brain of an 18 year old. However, there are few studies that document the driving of newly licensed 18 year olds, or 25 year olds for that matter. So we can't really be 100 percent sure if it is the age of the driver, or just the fact that the driver is newly licensed, that results in these alarming statistics. We all want to save lives, but will raising the driving age save lives, or simply delay the inevitable?
Educational Concerns
The current laws in most states require that drivers under the age of 18 do some sort of required education before they receive a license. These are typically referred to as graduated driver licensing programs (GDLs). Currently, they are required by 36 states with that number growing all the time. The GDLs usually consist of some sort of classroom driver education, followed by behind the wheel training and/or practice with parents. There may be a waiting period, and often times these GDLs will impose some driver restrictions for up to a year after receiving a license. There is little doubt that these programs work. There have been countless studies that show a reduction in the death rates of newly licensed teens of anywhere from 11-35 percent when compared to states with no GDL programs. However, all of the states imposing these programs on the teens under 18 waive them for any adult. The only requirement for anyone 18 or over is to pass the tests. So, a more important question might be if a state plans on increasing the driving age to 18, will they also impose the GDL systems on those 18 year olds, or will the 18 year olds continue to be exempt from getting an education. Even if they did impose GDLs to adults, who will perform the required practice with these adults now that the parents are probably out of the picture.
Economic Concerns
Will raising the driving age to 18 be good or bad for the economy? If we look within the economic microcosm of the family, many families rely on older siblings to help relieve the burden of driving kids all over the universe. However, maybe money could be saved if they didn't have to pay for that extra car and insurance. When looking at the greater economy, I read one article where the writer claimed that a reduction in congestion on the roads would be good for the economy. My economically deficient brain can't wrap itself around that concept, but there may be something to it. On the other hand, imagine the implications of suddenly removing all those drivers from the picture. There would be fewer cars sold, fewer insurance policies purchased, and less spent on gas and maintenance items. This would be especially difficult during the transition of the first few years after the law changed, but it's implications could be long lasting as it would mean that every driver on the road would be losing 2 years of spending on these items over the course of their lifetimes. It would also mean fewer trips to the movies, restaurants, WalMarts, and 7-11s for all these kids. It sounds like lost revenues and lost jobs for many industries to me. But we are talking about saving lives!
I would be against raising the driving age to 18 if it meant creating an entire population of uneducated drivers. This is especially true when I consider the economic implications of such a law change. However, I would not be so opposed to re-visiting the idea if the states would come up with a mandatory education program for new drivers of any age. I just don't see how they could make an effective education model without the participation of the parents/guardians. The only way would be to implement a mandatory training program such as that in some European countries. However, these require 30+ hours of in car training with a professional driving instructor, and usually cost several thousand dollars. Since the invention of the automobile, parents in the United States have been involved in the training of their new teen drivers. Some parents are better at this than others, but I feel that this should continue to remain the most important part of a new driver's education process. If anything, there should be more time spent practicing with parents, not less time. Raising the driving age to 18 would result in no practice for new drivers. You could potentially be sending your children off to college without any driving experience at all. As driving instructors, we have clearly seen the devastating results of no practice. It is practice, practice, practice that determines whether or not a teen will beat the statistics, or be a statistic.
What do you think?
posted @ Friday, November 21, 2008 1:39 PM