| Raising the driving age will not stop teen driving accidents (4/05) | | Print | |
| Written by Larry Yee | |
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You pick up the keys to your mom’s minivan. This is a momentous occasion. You’re 16 and getting behind the driving wheel for the first time. Excitement grows as you start the car and shift into gear. But what if someone told you, you had to wait two more years? Ten years ago, anyone wishing to raise the driving age would have been labeled crazy, but the age-old argument is gaining more support among parents and older drivers, angry with the lawmakers for not being strict enough on teen drivers. Parents of teenagers aged 16 to 18 argue that the protective measures are not strong enough to ensure the safety of young drivers and their passengers. According to the AAA Insurance brochure, 8,455 driving fatalities a year are between 16 and 20 year olds, and parents of many teenagers blame the lax U.S. driving laws. California alone had 524 accidents involving teenagers aged 16 to 18 last year. However, imposing a ban on drivers under 18 is unfair. Depriving responsible students who need to help out with daily chores, drive themselves to school, and take care of their grandparents, is unjust. Younger farm workers also need to use farm machinery to work. According to a March 2 article in the USA Today titled “Is 16 too Young to Drive?”, California is in the forefront of the states addressing teenage driving problems. The state has a point system which assigns either one or two points to the person’s records depending on the seriousness of the driving incident. Although it affects everyone, it was designed especially for teenage drivers. Many praise the tough point system and judges’ right to suspend a license for improper driving. Collect too many points, your license is revoked. Thirty-one states now impose passenger restrictions and limit night driving for 16 to 18 year olds. In the United States during the 1990’s 52 percent of all accidents occurred at night, especially weekend nights. However, California now does not allow anybody under 18 to drive between midnight and five a.m., when many of the fatal accidents occur. With the new restrictions for teenagers, the rate of accidents at night is now down to 13 percent. In Washington, D.C. teenage drivers are now forbidden to talk on cellular phones and to carry teenage passengers for a year and a half after receiving their provisional license, according to new legislation passed March 23. Many states are following suit; similar bills are pending in Virginia and Maryland. These states are attacking the main cause of the accidents, and the country is coming around. They tackle the issues of cell phones and disturbances in the car, teen licenses are not being banned, nor should they be. Beginning seven years ago, a new system called the graduated drivers’ licensing program began in the United States. Accidents have dropped by 46 percent throughout the country. This program requires 50 painstaking hours, 10 at night, of practice with a parent. The state also requires 6 hours of professional training by a teacher. This system also enforces a strict rule for driving under the influence of alcohol; no more than 0.01 percent is allowed, which is far stricter than for adults. This is a great improvement from previous requirements that required little to no practice with parents and a more tolerant alcohol allowance for teenagers. When all of the above measures are used to limit accidents, taking away licenses from all teenagers is unnecessary. Not all teenagers deserve licenses, but parents shouldn’t persuade lawmakers to be harsh on all of us. Many more solutions exist which do not deprive teenagers of their very first car. Rethinking the driver education system to teach student drivers better safety and car care is a good start. The DMV test can be made tougher. Lengthening the probation periods and revoking licenses for a longer amount of time might help lower the accident rate for 16-18 year-olds. An increase in the traffic patrol and a visible police presence looking out for the safety of the drivers will work to make all drivers happier and secure. But just plain revoking licenses does not solve any of the existing problems, it only postpones it for two years. |
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