Raising the driving age to 18 is a good idea, as long as it is handled correctly. Increasing the driving age would lead to fewer traffic accidents, and overall improvement of road safety. Decision making improves with age so older drivers will make better drivers, and there is already plentiful evidence of the effectiveness of this program. I do believe however, that in certain circumstances, people under the age of 18 should be able to apply for an early permit, with their parents permission, to assist in tasks such as farming. Raising the driving age to 18 would be more safe, as it has been scientifically proven that the decision making centers in our brains continue developing until our mid-twenties, so older drivers would make for better drivers, as they have had an extra two years to mature. This would lead to drivers making fewer mistakes on the road, and taking less risks as well. Teens are known to be more prone to taking risks, and may be more likely to perform unsafe practices while driving, such as speeding, street racing, road rage, and other impulsive behaviors. …show more content…
In Europe the driving age is set at 18. This need arose for them early because of the high population and smaller spaces for roads, thus creating a need for better drivers. As a result, the traffic accident rates in Europe have decreased significantly, and the safety on the roads has increased as a result. This is significant because driving conditions are much more difficult in Europe compared to the U.S. with smaller, more cramped driving spaces and higher volumes of traffic, yet they still have a traffic death rate not much higher than the U.S. If the same principles were to be applied here in the U.S. with large spaces for bigger roads, and traffic that is much more spread out, the same results, if not greater, would surely be