Andrew Cierniak Exploratory Essay Teen Driving Being 18 now, I am starting to think should teenagers be able to drive at age

16. Before when I was under 18, I thought getting my license was one of the greatest things that could happen to a teen, almost like a huge step in someones life. But now I am starting to actually listen to all of the teen driving accidents I hear about, and how much of a hazard they are to have on the road. I ask myself, should the driving age be moved up to 18 in the United States? Is 16 really a responsible and safe age for someone to drive at? What is the national cost of having teen drivers on the road? Also I want to find out if drivers education is an effective course in making teens drive safer. Does it really help lower the accident rate of drivers who are 16? And is every state different? If so is one more effective than the other? And finally do males get into more accidents than females at 16? To kick this off, I found the Rocky Mountain Insurance website to get national teenage driver statistics. I found a lot of information, but the ones that stood out were 16-yearolds have higher crash rates than drivers of any other age, and that they are 3 times more likely to have a fatal accident (RMIIA). I assumed that the statistics wouldnt be to great, but they do tell us how important experience is when it comes to driving. Driving is like anything else you are trying to learn how to do. You get better with practice, and gain more experience, but its a lot more serious when it comes to your life, as well as the life of the passengers, and the other people out on the road. The RMIIA website was very informative, but they didnt have much to say about how

to prevent dangerous teen driving, but just gave the accident statistics. I checked another insurance company, and All State had some reasons why teens crash, and why other teens prevent it from happening. They talk about the allies and the enemies. Cellphones, speeding and peer pressure are what causes the problem. Talking on your cellphone make your reaction time equivalent to a 70-year-olds, which is a huge difference from 16. Speeding and peer pressure go hand-in-hand, because when teens drive more erratically with friends in the car. 17 percent say they speed for fun, and 69 percent say they would ride with some who speed. 44 Percent say they drive more safely when they drive by themselves, and 67 say they felt unsafe with another teen driver (All State). So there are things teens can do to prevent themselves from being more likely from being in an accident, but will do they realize how serious being a driver is, and what the consequences could be? Nine out of 10 have witnessed teen drivers talking on a cell phone; seven out of 10 sometimes see emotionally upset teens drive while talking on a cell phone (The Ugly Truth). From the previous information from All State, this helps prove the point that teen drivers use their cellphones while they drive. They know that it isnt smart to use your phone while driving, as it makes you have slower reaction time, and increases your chance to crash many times over. The fact is that they can do a lot to prevent it, but in the habits they are in today, they dont seem responsible enough to take driving seriously. Im still not sure of my stance on this issue just yet, but Im starting to lean towards raising the age to 18. It just doesnt seem worth it for all the fatalities and accidents that happen to them, their families, and to everyone their lives effected. I guess its up to the parents who let their kids drive, but is it really worth to let your son or daughter drive

when you know they are inexperienced? Graduated driver licensing allows young drivers to gain much-needed driving experience in controlled, lower risk circumstances, such as nighttime driving restrictions, passenger limitations, required restraint use for all occupants, and license sanctions that kick in at a lower threshold (e.g., first conviction for a serious violation) (NHTSA). Drivers education does help teens from the statistics, but you put in what you get out. If you dont really learn and just get by, youre not going to be better off than the other teens who actually took something out of it. The only valid, random evaluation of driver education has been the DeKalb study. When traffic crashes are used as a measure of effectiveness, the DeKalb study showed that, among those licensed to drive and who had taken driver education, accidents were significantly reduced during the first six months. The estimated magnitude of reduction ranges from 10-20 percent, depending upon control over outside variables (Robinson). Drivers education is effective, and can help a teen really get a better chance out on the road. Its hard to say which side Im on at this point. I feel that if teens are going to drive, they should be required to go through drivers education, and it should be stricter to a certain level. Some people might have a lot of responsibility and need to drive, so in some cases the age should be 16. Overall teens should be able to drive if they are responsible, and have successful completed drivers education.

Work Cited "Teen Driving Statistics." Auto and Homeowners Insurance Information for Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming. 2010. Web. 02 Oct. 2011. <http://www.rmiia.org/auto/teens/Teen_Driving_Statistics.asp>. "Safe Driving Resources The Facts About Teen Driving." Www.allstate.com. 2011. Web. 02 Oct. 2011. <http://www.allstate.com/tools-and-resources/safe-drivingresources.aspx>. "The Ugly Truth | Impact Teen Drivers." Impact Teen Drivers, Reckless and Distracted Driving Education. 2011. Web. 05 Oct. 2011. <http://impactteendrivers.org/the-uglytruth>.

"NHTSA: Saving Teenage Lives." National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Web. 05 Oct. 2011. <http://www.nhtsa.gov/people/injury/newdriver/saveteens/sect3.html>. Robinson, Allen. "American Driver and Traffic Safety Education Association." ADTSEA Home Page. Web. 05 Oct. 2011. <http://www.adtsea.org/adtsea/articles/Article.aspx?ArticleID=9af1ad50-041e-4c698d1f-fc8de3b87422>.