Should The Driving Age Be Raised To 18?
October 23rd, 2008 Posted in Eric Peters, Insurance Companies
By Eric Peters, Automotive Columnist
Is 16 too young to drive?
If you’re 16. you probably think not. But it’s those over 16 — adults like the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s Adrian Lund — who will get to be the deeeeciders on this one. Lund and some others want to push the age at which a person can get their first driver’s license to 17 or even 18.
Of course, it’s all about “safety.”
Lund — a professional nag who heads an organization of nags — says that teenage drivers are a menace to themselves and others and wants to use the billy stick of the federal government (via withheld highway funds) to compel states to raise their legal driving age — just as the billy stick of federal money was used to impose the 55 mph speed limit, virtual Prohibition of alcohol and “primary enforcement” seat belt laws.
This time, it’s not merely “for the children” — it actually involves them.
And Lund is partially right. Teenagers do get into more than their fair share of wrecks. But is this due to their age — or their lack of training/experience?
There are some very young pro drivers — from NHRA to NASCAR. Maybe not sixteen-year-olds, but not far removed. At 15 or 16, some of these kids are better drivers than most of us will ever be. What to make of this fact?
Granted, these are exceptional kids — but the point’s not invalid: Experience and training probably mean a whole lot more than age — as such.
Will raising the age to 17 or 18 give a kid more experience — or less? Maybe the age at which we begin to train kids to drive should be lowered, not raised. Does it make more — or less — sense to toss a kid with zero hours behind the wheel a set of car keys at 17 or 18, when he is inches way from being legally free of any parental oversight whatsoever?
Maybe it would make more sense to begin teaching kids how to drive around 14 or 15 — easing them into it gradually, and with supervision — so that by the time they are 17 or 18 they have three or four years of experience behind them. That’s actually the way it used to be done, until public institutions such as public schools took over from parents and the whole process became bureaucratized and officialized — but with less than stellar results.
Driving is, after all, a skill like any other; it is not mastered overnight — or after a few weeks of classroom instruction and a couple of hours in the seat.
Logic says start them sooner, not later.
But that would make sense — and making sense is what IIHS is not all about. It exists to harp over problems often directly ginned up by its own propaganda. Mandatory buckle-up laws are an example of this. Ditto the neo-Prohibitionist crusade that has gone way beyond a legitimate effort to deal with drunk drivers that now mercilessly prosecutes people with trace amounts of alcohol in their system — as little as .06 or even .04 BAC, the level an average person can reach after having had a single glass of wine over dinner.
But I digress.
The other half of the equation when it comes to new/teenage drivers is proper instruction. What we do in this country — for the most part — is woefully inadequate. Many parents set poor examples — or are simply ill-equipped to properly instruct their kids in safe/competent driving. Ditto the so-called “schools” (especially those offered by the public schools) and the at-best cursory testing done by most DMVs before that first license is issued.
We don’t really show kids how to drive — especially how to handle emergency, such as a slide on black ice. Instead, we chant cant at them that’s obvious BS, such as “speed kills” — the driving equivalent of the BS about “marihuana” that’s peddled to them in Just Say No sessions. Kids are smart enough to see through this — but immature enough to then regard everything they’re taught by adults as BS.
This is dangerous.
Far better to really teach them — and to be honest with them.
I’d be ready to lay serious cash on the table to bet Lund that if you took an average 14 or 15 year old and had him or her trained by an expert instructor and properly supervised for a year or two before a provisional license was granted — after which the kid would still be monitored and quickly reined in at the first sign of reckless or incompetent behavior — the whole “teenage driver” thing would just disappear.
Problem is, there’s no money in that. Finding solutions to problems is not what IIS wants. IIHS wants crusades that never end. Just like MADD; just like politicians.
Just like the whole lot of them.
Comments?
www.ericpetersautos.com
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22 Responses to “Should The Driving Age Be Raised To 18?”
By PAblo on Jan 7, 2009
Driving should be illeagal all together. lets all walk ya lazy b****s
By Brittany on Jan 4, 2009
heyy
the driveing age should not be raised. i think this because in NJ the driveing age is already 16 when they get there permit and 17 is when the get the restricted lisence. the people in nj are already talking about highering it. and there are people who are 18 on the roads who shouldnt even be there it shouldnt matter about age it should matter about the teenageers responsibility
By kym on Dec 12, 2008
they shouldn’t becuase it helps us become more mature and helps us take resposibility for our actions. they shouldn’t because that will only make them more anxious to drive which could therefore make them too excited when behind the wheel and will make them most likely cause an accident.
By Pedro on Dec 10, 2008
I think driving is an act of responsibility and independence, and it is never certain that a 16 year old will be able to carry such responsibility… so i agree, the age should be raised
By mike on Dec 1, 2008
it should be 12 not 18 not 16
By Daryn Paladino on Dec 1, 2008
Well i like ur point but stil……
By The Ranch Girl on Nov 25, 2008
Randy I get you point. And you are right that is the kind of driving I am used to. And I do get i don’t have all that to do deal with where i drive. At the same time I think if kids get started driving at a earlier time then as they get older they will get more and more safe behind the wheel. I do see you point.
By Jeff on Nov 25, 2008
In Chicago all the speed limits are 55, but none of the locals drive slower than 70 (and they get the privilege of paying tolls to do it).
By Randy on Nov 25, 2008
Todd cities like Chicago when it is not stop and go and according to people from Michigan, every city in Michigan on an interstate of course.
By Todd on Nov 24, 2008
Randy if the city is so big and is filled with alot of cars, people walking around, traffic, etc then how in the world can somebody go 80 mph in such limited space. Maybe they can but only crazy people who do this since they have to jump sidewalks, cross the center line, or weave through traffic (ok maybe this last one is more common) in order to go 80 mph. When I was on vacation with my family we went to Las Vegas and I never saw people doing 80 mph in the city. I just heard more honking. Which city are you taking about that has people doing 80 mph?
By Randy on Nov 24, 2008
Ranch girl there is driving and then there is driving. If you are a ranch girl you may have learned to back up a four wheel wagon and drive a pickup to the field on the back roads but there is a lot of difference driving with the drivers in big cities where they are coming at you from all directions at 80 mph cutting in front of you and riding your tailgate. My nephew was driving at 2 different small vehicles but I would not want him on the road.
By The Ranch girl on Nov 24, 2008
It is called being free. Just think back when you were 14 15 years old and how bad you wanted to drive. For some kids they have to drive. Gas is so high our family can’t afford to run me back and forth to school. When you become 14 15 you get a little more independence and get more resoponsipility. Having a driving lisense would give a kid more resopnsibilty haveing to put gas in it for example. If they forget someone is going to have to walk. Kids then start to think about stuff more. In my stand point kids need to have that independence. The people who came up with this law came up with it for a reason. Do not mess with it. I am 13 and probobly have more experence then most adults driving.
By pete on Nov 18, 2008
im the best driver in the world. im only 12
By Derrick on Nov 11, 2008
We should have the learner’s permit age at 14 like in South Dakota, Idaho, Montana, and Kansas where you can get your license at 15. The states that set their permit age at 15 and the age to get a license at 15 1/2 are New Mexico, South Carolina, and Mississippi. These states don’t have high accident rates. New Jersey has one of the worst accident rates in the country and yet the licensing age is 17(due to density, NOT AGE!) and are corrupt! If you ask me the age to get your driver’s license should be 15 so that way people learning to drive can be more relaxed and learn better and become safer drivers than SOME elderly drivers. BUT first you would get a learner’s pemit at 14 and practice 50-100 hours with 5-10 hours of nighttime driving and holding the permit for 6 to 12 months(half with Driver’s education like South Dakota). Nighttime curfew would be from 11pm-5am and 1 non-family passenger under 17 or 18 for the first 6 months making the full licensing age at 16 or 16 1/2. Only 7 states license those under 16:
State: Permit: Provisional:
South Dakota 14 years 14 years, 3-6 months
Idaho 14.5 years 15 years
Montana 14.5 years 15 years
Kansas 14 years 15 years
South Carolina 15 years 15.5 years
Mississippi 15 years 15.5 years
New Mexico 15 years 15.5 years
Have you joined yet?
If age was the case, then south dakota would have the highest accident rate but that’s not logical since it’s not alot of traffic.
By Todd on Oct 24, 2008
I seen this on the news this morning and just found an interesting article at:
http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20081013005620
By Todd on Oct 24, 2008
Maybe they should make the age for a kid to obtain a permit 14 years old. They should also require that kids between ages 14-16 to do 100 hours with there parents during the day and 30 hours during the night in order to get a license. This would help the teen to get more experiance behind the wheel while their parents correct any mistakes that their teen does when driving. As for drivers ed they should make 60 hours in class rules of the road study in which really works with a well trained driving instructor. 20 hours on road with the driving instructor and one of the most important ones would be to have the teen take a driving simulation class where they can practice all of the emergency avoidence manuvers unstead of on the real road in which would be too risky. As for a license it should be set a 16 which would allow the teen 2 years experiance with their parents. The road test for that license should be really effective in testing the teens skill in a way which is safe and reasonable. For example like a 1 hour drive with the license tester who will test the teens driving skills. Automatic failure for the teen if he or she makes more than 2 really minor mistakes and 1 mistake that puts people and property at risk. The license for 16 should (I don’t know if all states have this but some do) only allow the teen to carry 1 person under 18 years of age and no driving pass 10 pm or before 5 am (with some reasonalbe exceptions). The teen must have a hands free device for their cell phone and only make calls in which is reasonabley important. Last 17 in a half should be when a teen can obtain a full class drivers license.
Thats just my idea. Any suggestions?
P.S - Not all teens are BAD DRIVERS because some are very reasponsible however there are BAD APPLES out there that should have there license taken away from them and also depending on the circumstance a chance to obtain their liscense again at like say 25 years of age but they have to go through the whole process again.
By Randy on Oct 24, 2008
It is both about age and experience somewhere around 50/50. Many younger drivers that I have heard about got in accidents driving less than 20 mph. Parking lot accidents and hitting things usually. Mostly because they were not paying attention and being cautious which is caused by lower age and low experience. Young drivers have more of a tendency to drive too fast also for conditions or their ability because the judgment of younger drivers is more reckless. Some states require 50 hours of supervised driving before taking the wheel by themselves and they still get into more problems. I think it is a decision to be made by the states and the parents.
Randall, I know of no states that require you to have a license to drive a farm tractor. There may be one out there somewhere but I doubt it. I also did not see that they wanted the federal goverment to make the law but I may have missed it in the article.
By Cliff on Oct 24, 2008
15 is a good age. That gives them 2 years of experiance before they leave home and go to college.
By Robert on Oct 24, 2008
In Michigan, under the graduated driver licensing system which began about ten years ago, a young person can legally start getting that supervised experience on the public roads at 14 years, 9 months of age, the minimum age for a Class 1 license. Someone should do a study to see if it has made any difference.
By Highway on Oct 24, 2008
It doesn’t help that current ‘Driver Education’ is a complete joke. Worthless classroom time learning ‘rules of the road’ that are rarely followed, on road time with someone who’s watching a clock, in an unfamiliar vehicle.
To safely drive on public roads, you don’t even need an expert instructor. All you need is the ability to correctly judge the road conditions, to signal your intentions clearly, to move with a minimum of indecision (even if it’s not where you really wanted to go, you can correct that), and a sense of self-preservation combined with a respect for other vehicles on the road.
Instead we get safety by talisman. Put on the magic seat belt. Be over a specific age. Don’t go near these items or substances. Pay your tribute.
By John G on Oct 23, 2008
I think federal blackmale is appalling. It is just a why for tyrants in the federal government to circumvent the constitution and States’ Rights in a way the founding fathers never intended. One must never forget the spirit in which the document was written and ask yourself if the founders would have ever approved bypassing the 10th amendment by allowing the federal government to become so massive and to levy so much tax on the populace that it could hold financial sway over all the states. It is a scam the federal government is using to consolidate power.
10th Amendment:
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.
By Randall on Oct 23, 2008
Age has almost nothing to do ith this. It is all about experience. My aunt didn’t get her license until she was almost 30! I was 16 at the time and rove better than her. She was littrally afraid to get behind the wheel and when she got her license and drove it was like a 16 year old or worse. It has everything to do with experience and nothing to do with age. Last time I checked the older you are the harder it is to learn, so maybe it should be lowered. I’m not a parent yet but when I am I will be pissed if I have to drive my 16 year old to everything. What about farming states with ages as low as 14. Kids need licenses to drive the big tractors to help out on the farm, will they ban those too? if it’s all about age then we should just raise it to 25 years old after all that when your insurance goes down because of your age and risk goes down.