We're all still young enough to remember the thrill and joy of getting our licences and the age of 16. It was an exciting and liberating time and meant no more begging older brothers or sisters for a ride to the movies and no more getting picked up by mom and dad in front of that boy or girl you liked. Yes, having your license at the age of 16 really was great. But is a 16 year old really responsible and mature enough to handle driving around town and on busy highways? In states across the country this question is being asked and for the first time the answers are increasingly mixed.
Even though I know the 16 year old version of myself would like to travel forward in time and kick my ass, I firmly believe that the driving age should be moved back to 18 across the country. My goal is to persuade you all to believe that 16 is too young and those two extra years of maturing and seasoning will pay off for teenagers, parents, and everyone in general.
Link to a short article in USA Today about the driving age debate to hopefully get everyone thinking about where they stand on the issue.
In Ecuador the driving age is 18. People are driving sooner than that but one thing that I think makes a difference is that we don't have to deal with all the car insurance crap that parents here have to deal with for their 16 year-old drivers.
ReplyDeleteI agree. 16 is no age to have the responsibility of a car and the lives of others. I think car insurance companies would lobby against an initiative to push the age back to 18. Something to consider... how society and policies would object to changing the system becuase it's profitable to have young, inexperienced drivers on the road.