Did you know that , on average, two people die every day across the USA in vehicles driven by 16-year-old drivers. One in five 16-year-olds will have a reportable car crash within the first year. 18 year-olds should be able to drive because they are more mature, they have more experience, they can save lives.
First, 18 year-olds are more mature. 18 year-olds compared to 16 year-olds have a more developed brain. Although, 18 year-olds are still technically “teenagers,” their brains are far more developed into an adult’s than a 16 year-old or younger. In Source One, it states “A crucial part of the teen’s brain- the area that peers ahead and considers consequences- remains undeveloped. That means careless attitudes and rash emotions often drive
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When teens become more adultlike, their hormones encourage more risky and thrilling things. It states in Source One “But as the hormones fire up the part of the brain that responds to pleasure, known as the limbic system, emotions run high. Those emotions make it hard to quickly form wise judgments—the kind drivers must make every day.” Most states focus their fixes on giving teens more driving experience before granting them unrestricted licenses; but, the new brain research suggests that a separate factor is just as crucial: maturity. Nevertheless, a new 17- or 18-year-old driver is considered safer than a new 16-year-old driver. Even some teens are acknowledging that 16-year-olds are generally not ready to face the life-threatening risks that drivers can encounter behind the …show more content…
16 year-olds should be able to drive. Actually, in Source Two, it says “They found that tougher licensing laws have led to 1,348 fewer fatal car crashes involving 16-year-old drivers. But during the same period, fatal crashes involving 18-year-old drivers increased. They were behind the wheel in 1,086 more fatal accidents.” Notwithstanding, 16 year-olds have also been getting involved in fatal accidents. In Source One, Gayle Bell, whose 16-year-old daughter, Jessie, rolled her small car into a Missouri ditch and died in July 2003, says she used to happily be Jessie’s “ride.” She would give anything for the chance to drive Jessie again.“We were always together, but not as much after she got her license,” Bell says. “If I could bring her back, I’d lasso the moon.” Also, in Source One, “In 2003, there were 937 drivers age 16 who were involved in fatal crashes. In those wrecks, 411 of the 16-year-old drivers died and 352 of their passengers were killed. Sixteen-year-old drivers are involved in fatal crashes at a rate nearly five times the rate of drivers 20 or older.” This shows that not only do 18 year-olds get into many accidents, but so are 16 year-old. Nevertheless, 16 year-olds can get themselves and many others (in the car or around them) more than 18