Should 16-Year Olds Drive

Teenagers have been given, at age sixteen, ownership and control of what could be an unintentionally, deadly weapon, their cars. Every year thousands of teenage drivers kill and are killed in fatal accidents due to many different aspects. Teenagers are at a crossroad in their life where distractions easily capture their attention, immaturity leads them to make poorer decisions, and teens also have a tendency to speed. The driving age needs to be raised in order to protect teenage lives.

First of all, the mind of a teenager is easily distracted by whatever is near them. Whether it be a mobile device, someone else in the car, or something they've got to see out the window, teens are probably willing to take the risk of succumbing to whatever it is's temptation. Adam Zyglis, a cartoonist for The Buffalo News, proves this …show more content…
Choosing to fall for distractions is only one of the choices they make. Teenagers also make many other bad decisions, such as choosing to give into peer pressure and showing off to their peers. Many of them think it is necessary to their reputation to drive with risky stunts and tricks in order to show off, what they call skill, to passengers and friends. Ted Gregory mentions this in his article, "Should 16-Year Olds Drive?". In it, he states, "The teenage brain also is particularly vulnerable to distraction and peer pressure." His article also provides an explanation as to why they are so prone to making bad decisions. "The front portion of the brain-which includes control of impulses, judgement and decision-making, and the coordination of multi tasking-matures deep into the 20s, research shows." Their brains are just not ready enough as they need to be, for it to be safe for them to drive. Impulsive minds are really not a good thing for drivers to