Should the Legal Driving Age be Changed from 16 to 18

In society today, government officials and parents are whining about how teens are causing accidents, which would have never happened if the government had made teens practice driving more. While more responsibility does come with age, experience doesn’t just happen. Government officials and parents need to teach teens when they are younger about responsibility and give them more experience when driving. When turning 16 teens can start to help their parents out more, they are nervous when they are driving, so they are more responsible, and when teens start to drive at a younger age they can get more experience, and they can learn from their mistakes.

For these reasons, I disagree with the legal driving age being changed from 16 to 18 years old.

Not only will teens driving at 16 benefit themselves, but it will benefit their parents. When teens turn 16 they can help their parents out by running errands, driving to school activities, and they can drive their siblings around. For example, if your parents are at work and nobody can go to pick your siblings up, you can help your parents out by picking them up. Evidence states, “after years of carting kids to school and back and taking them wherever they need to go, it's a relief to let them drive themselves.” Parents are relieved that their children can drive at 16 because it can help lift some weight off of their shoulders. Not only does driving at 16 help parents, it also can show that when teens start driving they are more nervous, therefore they are more responsible.

The first time a teen starts to drive they feel many butterflies in their stomach. As they begin to drive they are so nervous that they make sure they are following every driving rule and are driving safe. Therefore, if teens begin to drive at 16, they will be more nervous, and they will drive more responsible. For example, when you are nervous about a test, you begin to study for it more and when you study for it more you start to know more of it. Evidence states, “Young drivers, nervous and new to driving, probably feel more responsible than people who drive every day.” This shows that driving at 16 is better that changing the driving age to 18.

“Maturity doesn’t come with age, it comes with experience! - Shalu Saini”

When teens start to drive, they may not be the best. It takes time and effort to become great at something and to really know how to drive. If you start driving when you are young, you will gain the experience to become a great driver. If the driving age changes to 18 the 18 year olds still won’t have any driving experience because that is their first time driving. Evidence states, “The reason why drivers crash is a lack of experience, and an 18 year old with one year's worth of experience is just as likely to crash as a 17 year old with one year's experience.” This shows that the driving age should not be changed from 16 to 18 years old.

Many people think that 16 year olds will not be responsible when driving, so they will crash, however 18 year olds will be just as likely to crash as 16 year olds because they wouldn’t have any experience when driving. Evidence states, “The reason why drivers crash is a lack of experience, and an 18 year old with one year's worth of experience is just as likely to crash as a 17 year old with one year's experience.” This shows that 18 year olds will be just as responsible as teenagers.

The legal driving age should not be changed from 16 to 18 years old. Government officials should think about not changing the driving age to 18 because teens would not be able to help their parents, when teens get their license they will be more responsible, and when teens start driving at a younger age they will have more experience. Changing the age will destroy teenagers freedom and their trust with the government. After all, why would the government care about destroying teenagers freedom? 

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