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Kids and cars: Should the driving age be raised?

Posted Sep 16 2008, 06:09 PM by Karen Datko
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Car crashes are the No. 1 killer of U.S. teenagers. So why shouldn't we talk about raising the legal driving age?

"BeThisWay" at Are You Going To Be This Way The Rest Of The Time I Know You? tackled the question head-on in a post called "Captain Obvious reports: 16-year-olds maybe shouldn't be licensed." Her conclusion may surprise you.

An industry research group, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, has proposed raising the driving age for teens to 17 or 18 -- bringing the U.S. in line with other industrialized countries. Only New Jersey, where BeThisWay grew up, sets the age at 17. Here in Montana, it's 15, with some driving restrictions.

Many states take a middle ground with "graduated license requirements." 

Even so, The Associated Press reports that "more than 5,000 U.S. teens die each year in car crashes." Also:

The rate of crashes, fatal and nonfatal, per mile driven for 16-year-old drivers is almost 10 times the rate for drivers ages 30 to 59, according to the National Highway Safety Administration.

It's not just a matter of safety. Adding a teen to your auto insurance can cause your rates to rise between 50% to 200%, although there are ways to reduce the cost. (To read a very good article at MSN Money about how to do that, click here.) "I recall being seven months pregnant and daydreaming about the son that was soon to be born whilst blow drying my hair," BeThisWay writes. "All of a sudden I had an unhappy epiphany. 'Oh. My. G-d. I'm going to have to pay boy car insurance rates!!!!'"

What will her approach be when her son reaches driving age? Before he gets behind the wheel on his own, he's going to have to know how to drive, he's going to earn the money to pay for his car, gas and insurance, and -- most importantly -- he'll have to demonstrate he's responsible enough to know not to speed, drink and drive, or do the other stupid things that teen drivers have been known to do.

She and her husband will decide when he's ready to drive, even if he's met the state's legal age. "The thing is, no state law is going to teach my son these things," she writes. "Only Husband and I can. So though I wouldn't mind seeing the driving age raised, it's really a non-issue to me."

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Comments

 

Having been there and done that, Yes!!!!!! the driving age should be raised.

Paul (Posted 09.16.08 6:51 PM ) Report Abuse

most 16 year olds are starting to get jobs, so potential employers in some areas are going to fight a change for young workers.

mb (Posted 09.16.08 11:07 PM ) Report Abuse

This position skips the fact that no matter what the driving age is raised to - that if it is your first year behind the wheel you aren't going to be great at it.  Sure it might solve the problem for 16 yr olds - but newly driving 30yr olds wouldn't be a heck of a lot safer.

ac (Posted 09.17.08 12:27 AM ) Report Abuse

In my opinion there are two key factors that make a good driver: maturity and experience.  The problem is that age is not a gurauntee for anything.  Where I live, I can buy a high powered rifle at 18 but I can't buy a pistol until age 21; many people don't see the logic in that law.  Pistols and rifles can be equally dangerous if used in an irresponsible manner, just like a car can be deadly if not used properly.  Debates over age limits can be applied to many things: tobacco, alcohol, marriage, guns, voting, etc.  I really don't think the government could write a law that works perfectly for every person.  

I do think we need better training and testing for new drivers including the use of simulators and road tests.  If a driver's license was harder to obtain, people might take driving more seriously.  Just like pilots take flying seriously in most cases because an FAA license is harder to obtain and it costs money to become a pilot.

Food Man (Posted 09.17.08 10:02 AM ) Report Abuse

I think Food Man hit the nail on the head when he said that the two key factors are maturity and experience.  Age plays a small part in maturity but not experience.  I think that regardless of what age the requirement to drive is, you will see significantly more fatalities among new drivers.

Matt (Posted 09.17.08 10:40 AM ) Report Abuse

I very much agree that maturity and experience are both key to making good drivers.  If I deem that my son is not yet ready to be licensed that doesn't mean he will not be gaining experience driving.  He'll just have to do it longer under his Learner's Permit, with either Husband or I in the car.  He'll get that permit as soon as he's legally able so that he will have as much experience as possible before he gets his license.

Thanks, Karen, for writing about my article.  I think it's an important issue, and whether people agree with me or not I think it will get them thinking.

Be This Way, blogging at Are You Going to Be This Way the Rest of the Time I Know You?

Be This Way (Posted 09.17.08 10:51 AM ) Report Abuse

The most important undertaking for any driver new or not should be to take a driver safety course with occasional refreshers.  That's being responsible.  Most states only require a simple set of test, heartbeat, fee, and the ability to see letters in an eye machine.  I know because I am a pilot and a driver safety instructor for CDL drivers.  Most drivers surveyed think they are good or better drivers than the rest but only about 1% really are.  Given the proper training and being pointed in the right direction is the real answer and not necessarily an age issue if the teen driver demonstrates a mature responsibility.

4bucks (Posted 09.18.08 11:04 AM ) Report Abuse

Yess!  The driving age should be raised, to say, 18.  Also, there could be a cut-off age for driving, say, 80.  

allessan (Posted 09.18.08 1:34 PM ) Report Abuse

Raise the driving age...I have been yelling that for 30+ years ...how many kids drop school for jobs to support their cars?.. They tend to stay closer to home and have time to mature and observe others driving reasonably ... their brains are more  mature..as are thought processes .. six kids and 22 grandkids...no accidents .... no drivers lisences until they graduated from high school...  it worked ...even the girls learned to take care of the vehicle before they could drive it .. my Dad did  this to 5 of us 50 years ago...it worked....

mary lehmann (Posted 09.18.08 1:59 PM ) Report Abuse

I drive 23 miles one way to work.  When there is a driver who is not keeping up with traffic or moving lanes with not looking they 100% have gray hair!! I think the age needs to be left alone.  Both my boys drove neither ever had an accident.  Maybe parents need to make expectations a little clearer.  Why statistics show less accidents for the elderly is because there are less of that pool driving.  By the way I'm 63.

Diane Robertson (Posted 09.18.08 2:40 PM ) Report Abuse

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