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Human life is precious and we must do everything reasonable to prevent deaths. Raising the driving age will cut the number of accidents on the roads. Teenage drivers are much more likely to have accidents than older drivers. In the USA there were over 30 000 deaths in crashes involving 15-17 year old drivers between 1995 and 2004. Raising the driving age by a year or two will greatly reduce these accidents and deaths.

Few countries think 16 and 17 year olds are grown up enough to vote, drink alcohol or smoke. Yet most allow them to get behind the wheel of a car, even though it is a dangerous weapon in the wrong hands. Society usually sees 18 as the age at which young people become adults. Shouldn't driving be one of the privileges ad responsibilities of adulthood?

Teenage drivers are particularly dangerous, so delaying when they get a license will make the roads much safer for everyone. Young people (especially boys) have a different attitude to driving compared to older ones. For example, they can be fearless and thrill-seeking, taking risks that older drivers would not do. They see good driving as about being able to control their car at high speeds. They are also more influenced by peer pressure and more competitive, both of which make risky behavior more likely.

Raising the driving age will mean that fewer cars will be driven. Having fewer vehicles on the road (maybe 2% less) will benefit society as a whole. Firstly, it will reduce overcrowding on the roads, easing congestion and allowing the remaining traffic to flow more freely. Secondly cars are a major source of pollution and especially pump out a lot of carbon which contributes to climate change. Any measure which reduces car use should therefore be supported.

Over the past ten years many countries and most US states have already brought in graduated driver licensing (GDL). This means that new drivers have to go through two or more stages of restrictions before they earn a full license. Figures show that GDL has helped to reduce accidents and deaths, but these are still too high. Where GDL works it is because young drivers cannot go solo (without an older adult driver in the car with them) for 12 months after they start. So in effect, GDL is really raising the legal driving age by a year already and that is why accident rates are down. But adding another year or two to this actual solo driving age would cut deaths even more. And GDL on its own is weak because it is hard to check that its rules about accompanied driving are being followed. It would be best to have GDL and a higher driving age.

Raising the driving age would also help us tackle obesity. Lack of exercise is a major reason why many people are hugely overweight. Obesity leads to ill health for the individual, and society suffers through higher taxes to pay for the extra healthcare spending, as well as from lower economic output. Many teens are obese and raising the driving age would force them to walk instead of riding, giving them much-needed exercise. 16-18 is also a time when people develop habits that will stick with them for life. This means that raising the driving age will have a wider impact as people will grow up less dependent on their cars.

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Wiki User

13y ago
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Wiki User

15y ago

It would allow teenagers to drink before they go to college. Even allow parents to teach them crucial lessons on drinking. Instead of allowing fraternities to show students how to drink. Causing many deaths due to alcohol poisoning.

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Wiki User

7y ago

Some additional counter arguments could be:

  • Various studies have shown that MLDA of 21 has reduced teen traffic fatalities.
  • Other rights have different ages of initiation, like a hunting license at age 12, driving license at age 16, serve in the military at age 18, and various age requirements for running for federal elected positions.
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Wiki User

7y ago
  1. Your logic centers in your brain don't mature until you are around 20 so kids under 21 are not mature enough to think logically about drinking. They make stupid mistakes and drink too much and then drive drunk and kill people
  2. Alcohol is poisonous - teenagers shouldn't be exposed to poisons until they are old enough to know how much they can drink and when to stop
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Wiki User

9y ago

If anything, the drinking age should be raised. A 21-year-old brain is still developing, and if the person is allowed to drink without inhibition, they will experience brain damage.

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15y ago

Yes I think it should.. Do most people follow that rule.. no but it should be kept for the drinking age.

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Q: Why should the legal drinking age be kept at 21?
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