In Wisconsin in 2022, one teen driver was injured or killed every 3.7 hours, according to Teen Driver Safety in Wisconsin.
And this is why we need to turn the wheels and raise the driving age.
It’s just inappropriate to allow a 16-year-old to get behind the wheel and make life-changing decisions.
As a freshman, I cannot wait to get my license and have more freedom; however, I fear that the negative effects outweigh the positives regarding driving.
For starters, the human brain’s frontal lobe is not fully developed until around age 25.
This doesn’t seem like a big deal, but according to the Accident Attorneys, “Researchers have found that the frontal lobe of the brain is the region used for driving, as it plays a crucial role in motor skills and emotional maturity essential for safe and responsible behavior on the road.”
This just proves that 16-year-olds aren’t equipped with the skills to drive on the road. They can’t make quick decisions and react like a 25-year-old driver.
Even though many scientists say every person’s brain develops at a different rate, not many people can say that their brain developed ten years ahead of schedule.
It’s just not fair to allow a person without the skill set needed for driving to make life-changing decisions.
Other than the fact that human brains aren’t developed and mature enough to make driving decisions, it’s just simply unsafe to put a teen on the road.
According to Teen Driver Safety in Wisconsin… “In crashes where teens were driving the vehicle in 2022, 50% of those injured or killed were other 16 to 19 year-olds; 80% of injured or killed occupants were under 20 years old.”
Young adults can not hide their skills from driving with the number of crashes they cause.
Due to the immaturity of teen drivers, they make going out on the road way more dangerous for every age group.
So here’s my suggestion – raise the driving age to 18.
Even though the brain isn’t fully developed at 18, it gives teens two extra years to mature and acquire the skills.
I believe that allowing a teen to get their temps at 16 years old is appropriate.
It will give them two years to gain skills and ways to learn the road, but also by being watched.
Then at age 18, as an adult, they may get their license and will have 2 years of road experience with that.
