Why the legal driving age should not be increased: a persuasive essay.
Recently, there has been much debate as to whether or not the legal driving age of young Americans should be raised. Although I definitely agree with many of the arguments for this age increase, I do not believe in adding any more restrictions on Americans, or on how we choose to lead our lives. I am in opposition to the idea of elevating the driving age in the United States from sixteen to eighteen.
I am a sixteen-year-old who has chosen not to drive. I have decided not to even attain a permit up to this point. I thoroughly dislike cars and loath the impact that they have made on our culture. They cause massive amounts of pollution and have contributed to making Americans lackadaisical and apathetic. Don't get me wrong; I do not mind cars in moderation. It just seems that cars are overabundant in our society.
In some ways, I think that it would be great if the driving age was raised. Statistics have shown that there would probably be fewer accidents. In fact, today's teenage drivers are said to be responsible for about five times as many fatal crashes per license holder as are drivers between the ages of thirty-five and sixty-four. In addition, the mere idea of a decrease in the number of cars on the road is personally appealing to me.
Here in Oregon, restrictions have already been put into effect regarding driving minors. Teenagers are only allowed to drive adults and members of their family for the first six months of their newfound mobility. Some states will not allow unrestricted driving until 18. In actuality, these laws are often transgressed, and make only a small impact on the frequency of car-related injuries. In fact, I myself have often been an accomplice in these illegal driving excursions.
If the driving age was raised to eighteen all across the United States there would certainly be some reputable outcomes. However, it might be dangerous to elevate the right to drive to novelty status. It also seems to me that there is hypocrisy in highlighting
I am a sixteen-year-old who has chosen not to drive. I have decided not to even attain a permit up to this point. I thoroughly dislike cars and loath the impact that they have made on our culture. They cause massive amounts of pollution and have contributed to making Americans lackadaisical and apathetic. Don't get me wrong; I do not mind cars in moderation. It just seems that cars are overabundant in our society.
In some ways, I think that it would be great if the driving age was raised. Statistics have shown that there would probably be fewer accidents. In fact, today's teenage drivers are said to be responsible for about five times as many fatal crashes per license holder as are drivers between the ages of thirty-five and sixty-four. In addition, the mere idea of a decrease in the number of cars on the road is personally appealing to me.
Here in Oregon, restrictions have already been put into effect regarding driving minors. Teenagers are only allowed to drive adults and members of their family for the first six months of their newfound mobility. Some states will not allow unrestricted driving until 18. In actuality, these laws are often transgressed, and make only a small impact on the frequency of car-related injuries. In fact, I myself have often been an accomplice in these illegal driving excursions.
If the driving age was raised to eighteen all across the United States there would certainly be some reputable outcomes. However, it might be dangerous to elevate the right to drive to novelty status. It also seems to me that there is hypocrisy in highlighting