Should the legal driving age be changed is a question that has been asked and discussed over numerous times. There are many opinions on what age is the right age for people to start driving. There are many factors to take into consideration when discussing Brain development, restrictions, and the question: When? are all reasons for why the legal driving age should be raised in the United States
Brain development is a huge factor in deciding what age is the right age to start driving. Most people would think that a teen’s brain is fully developed when he/she is 16 years old. But, what they don’t know is that they’re wrong. “The executive branch of the teen brain - the part that weighs risks, makes judgments and controls impulsive behavior” (Davis, Paragraph 3). This is the part of the brain that fails most teens when they start driving. During the teen years, is when this part of the brain is still developing. “Scientists at the NIH campus in Bethesda, Md., have found that this vital area develops through the teenage years and isn’t fully mature until age 25” (Davis, Paragraph 4). This piece of information is extremely important when considering the driving age. Knowing that the brain is still developing during
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Some restrictions have already been made in multiple areas to keep the number of accidents low. “States have made the licensing process more rigorous in many ways: longer permitting times, driver’s ed requirements, and restrictions on nighttime driving and carrying fellow teenage passengers. Experts say all of these requirements help give teenagers the experience they need on the road” (What Happens Behind the Wheel, Paragraph 4). If the driving age were to be raised, some of these restrictions could be raised, because the teen is more mature and developed. Or, new restrictions could be added to verify the new driver’s