There are arguments that the legal driving age is too low, and this causes an unacceptably high level of traffic accidents. Raising the driving age, would ensure young drivers are more experienced and less prone to rash judgements which can put other road users at risk. Arguments for raising the legal driving age include:
1. Cut the number of deaths
The highest death rate for drivers is amongst the age group 17-25. If the driving age is increased there would a be a fall in fatalities arising from motor car use. This has a significant economic benefit.
2. Cut Congestion.
Fewer drivers on the road will reduce congestion and therefore reduce costs for firms
3. Reduce Obesity
Driving encourages the population to become lazy and obese. If people can’t drive they will be forced to walk, use public transport and cycle. This will help lead to a healthier population, which in turn leads to less strain on the NHS
4. Young drivers overestimate their skill
Young drivers, especially male drivers, are likely to overestimate their ability to drive at speed and in difficult conditions. For people of school age, there is often great peer pressure to drive excessively and in a dangerous way.
However, raising the driving age to 21 is rather a crude mechanism to raise some issues from young drivers.
Disadvantages of Raising Driving Age
- Is public transport good enough to provide an alternative? People in rural areas will be at a disadvantage and struggle to travel to work and visit friends
- Train travel is much more expensive than car use. Young people are already struggling with high rents and cost of education.
- Reduced mobility of young people can have an economic cost; it would lead to geographical immobility and geographical unemployment
- There are much better ways to tackle issues of pollution and congestion than raising the driving age. For example, using electronic-road pricing could better manage demand and congestion levels.
- High traffic accidents amongst young drivers are a problem, however, a better solution may be to improve standards of driving tests and stricter enforcement of speed limits. People have to learn to drive at some time.
- Lower demand for cars and therefore lower output in the car industry.
- It is an arbitrary denial of freedom to choose.
Conclusion
Raising the driving age to 21 is not a good idea. There is a stronger case for raising the driving age to 18 (though as a compromise people could be learner driver from the age of 17.
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most certantly all of the pons above were correct-o-mundo in which driving is for total squares
Raising the age to 21 is just stupid. If young drivers have to wait 3 more extra years, they will JOY RIDE!
That will lead them to driving dangerousley to get away. Catching and puting them in jail will also cost alot of money. One night in a cell is the equivallent to “”£150″”.
People will say that if the age is set higher then by the time kids come around to driving they will be more experienced, more wiser etc. So what? Wheather or not your wiser or more experienced matters not because weather you start at 17 or 21 your still going to be a beginner when it comes to driving perhaps they should make an intelligence test of some sort to only let the most intelligent and wise drive at 17 and everyone else at 21!
I believe that the minimum drivning age should be the same but the permit expirience to get a licence should be longer.
Richard Anderson, this idea of raising the driving age could work. You have to admit, the older you are, the more experienced and wiser you are. I’m not saying all, but most teens are irresponsible and inexpierienced, worried about different things than the road. Even raising the driving age a little bit could help. Most teens make a big deal out of little things they shouldn’t be worrying about, like clothes, or “texting.” I don’t know a lot of adults that do text unless they absolutely have to.
What I’m trying to say is that teens are not responsible enough to drive yet, but that rule only goes to an extent. We are not “going to raise the driving age to 50.” It DOES make a difference.
All four points hit the nail right on the head. The most important point i think you hit though was that it would cut obesity. It would promote teens to walk or ride a bike which make our country a lot healthier. Another great point you made, (which I think everyone agrees on whether there hireing it or not) is that it would decrease the number of deaths. My mother and grand mother were hit by a girl who had just started driving. Its a great sight keep putting up information