Should the Driving Age be Raised to 18? All over the country, teens ranging from ages fifteen through seventeen are behind the wheel of a vehicle for the very first time. Many people question if the driving age should be raised due to the maturity of adolescence. What happened to the earlier the better? Driving can help teenagers learn important aspects in life, such as: responsibility, independence, and helping out the family. When teenagers get their driver license, they learn how to be responsible. Teens can have many duties that help teach them this important characteristic. David Moshman, a professor of educational psychology at the University of Nebraska writes, "If you give adolescents appropriate responsibilities, they will rise to the occasion" (Hoder). Planning a route can contribute to becoming responsible. For example, knowing the designation ahead of time can help teens plan the best route on the safest roads and maybe even a shorter route to save gas. In today's time, we also have Global Positioning Systems that offer many helpful options to avoid …show more content…
Dr. Stephen Trudeau who works with teens in psychology practice in Westlake Village, California stresses that "teens cannot be expected to become independent over night and instead suggest it should be a gradual transition that allows teens to learn how to be independent a little at a time" (Partridge). When I was a teenager, I can remember driving over to my friend's house every afternoon without asking my parents because they gave me some freedom. I can also remember feeling like I was growing up just because I didn’t have to ask my mom to take me like she did before I had my licenses. As teenagers get older, they want to be free from authority and learn on their own. Having the option to go anywhere they desire is a type of control teens want to feel. Independence is a process that starts out slow, but is very rewarding as you get