Increasing the Driving Age

According to AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, car crashes are the biggest killer of teens, even among AIDS, drug use, and street violence combined. Turning sixteen and being able to drive is one of the most anticipated events in every young person’s life. Just the thought of finally getting behind the wheel, and televisions shows such as MTV’s My Super Sweet Sixteen have really dramatized this spectacular day. While getting behind the wheel may be one of the most dangerous actions, why does every young adult wish to do it? The age to obtain a drivers license needs to be raised because the amount of accidents would decrease, young drivers would have an opportunity to gain more experience, and more restrictions with a permit could save an increasing amount of teen lives.
If the lawmakers of Pennsylvania changed the driving age from sixteen to seventeen or higher, fewer accidents would occur. Many sixteen year olds (boys in particular) have a ‘nothing can hurt me’ attitude. As a result, many teens feel the “need to speed,” just to get a rush. Not only is speeding a criminal offense, but speeding teens are endangering their own life, and possibly other’s lives as well. One of the most risky activities that young teens can participate in is drinking and driving. Driving while under the influence is against the law for anyone, but studies have shown that young teens whose brains are still developing are more susceptible to engage in drinking and speeding. Studies by the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety say that 55% of all fatal accidents are a result of speeding or drinking.
Another positive outcome of raising the driving age would be that drivers would gain more experience. By spending more time with parents/guardians, more firsthand advice would be given, allowing a better representation of what really happens instead of reading it in a manual. Particularly here in western Pennsylvania, it would be extremely beneficial to increase the time needed to get a