At the age of sixteen, most teenagers feel like they are on top of the world. In most states, this marks the point in life where driving is legal. The thought of having a new car, cruising the town with friends, and no longer being dependent on other people for rides is very intriguing to teenagers. To most, driving is viewed as a rite of passage that comes at the age of 16. However, it is far from that. Driving is a privilege that should come with responsibility and an understanding of what is at stake when one gets behind the wheel. Over the past several years, some states have been buckling down on laws dealing with licenses while others still remain fairly lax. In Alaska, teenagers can receive their permit at the age of 14 and can get their license as soon as they turn 16. Pennsylvania teenagers must wait until they are 16 just to receive their permit. After six months and 50 hours of supervised driving, they are allowed to apply for their junior license. New York laws forbid 16 and 17-year old drivers from driving in New York City (“Minimum”). Are these laws strict enough, though? Based on the high and rising young driver car accident statistics, it is clear that 16-year olds are too young and unprepared to get behind the wheel of a car.

Car accident statistics consistently show that young drivers are prone to accidents resulting in both injury and death. In 2003, it was found that “car crashes are the leading cause of death for 16-year olds” (Berardelli). The numbers appear to be off the charts. It was also found that “sixteen-year-olds have almost ten times the crash risk of drivers age 30-59 and almost 3 times the risk of older teenagers” (“Graduated”). Based on these facts, it would appear that allowing 16-year olds to drive is proving to be extremely hazardous. States that have taken steps to tighten down on driving laws are seeing decreases in numbers dealing with young driver fatalities. These new standards include restricting night driving, limiting the number of passengers, requiring an allotted amount of supervised driving, and administering a holding period for having your permit so long before you can obtain a license. If these changes are making a difference in the statistics, imagine the difference that several years would make if the law was changed to ban 16-year olds from driving at this young age altogether.

Researchers have found several points of interest that explain why 16-year old drivers are so vulnerable to accidents. “During the first year of licensed driving, 1-in-5 male and about 1-in-10 female 16-year old drivers will have a crash” (Berardelli). One main reason for this is that 16-year olds are both physiologically and emotionally immature. At this age in life, a person is easily influenced by others and tends to follow the group in response to peer pressure. If speeding, racing, and passing illegally make the teen look cool, then they will do it. Teens also want to make a good impression on their friends, so they do not wear seatbelts, especially when driving others around. Police have found that “teens have the lowest seatbelt use rate of all drivers” (Berardelli). On the emotional level, doctors have found that the brain of a 16-year old is not fully developed. One section of the brain where this is found is the part that deals with risk-taking. Several years down the road, the brain will be more fully developed and the driver, in turn, will have a better knowledge of how to handle oneself when behind the wheel of a car. Irrational choices and split second decisions are less likely to be made when the driver is in control.

16-year olds also tend to be financially unstable, unless they are dependent on their parents. They will most likely be struggling to make enough money for gas. Considering this, money for regular check-ups is out of the question. If the car is not maintained properly, something could happen while driving and an avoidable accident may be the result. At the age of 16, money for maintaining a car is hardly on one’s mind. They will choose to use the money they have on a luxury item, such as a stereo system, rather than a necessity, such as new brake pads. In their eye’s, as long as the car looks good and still runs, there is nothing wrong with it. This immaturity and need to show off could bring about major consequences on the road.

The only beneficial thing that comes about by allowing a 16-year old to drive is that they can provide their own transportation. Most students at this age are involved in a school function such as a sport, musical, club, or play. Since all of these things entail a demanding schedule, having a license is extremely helpful. This way, parents and guardians are spared from chauffeuring the teen around. Putting this aside though, most parents worry when their teen is behind the wheel. With this said, most parents would probably choose to drive their child everywhere rather than have them die due to unprepared and immature driving.

No matter how it is looked at, it is consistently proven that 16-year olds are too young to drive. In Europe, the driving age is 18 in most countries and they have fewer fatalities when it comes to driving (Stafford). In the United States, researchers have found that “sixteen-year-old drivers have a crash rate three times more than 17-year olds, 5 times greater than 18-year olds, and two times that of 85-year olds” (“Graduated”). Considering this, the only solution may be to raise the legal driving age. Think of relating a car to a gun. In the United States, one cannot legally possess a gun until the age of 18. Cars have the capability of doing the same thing as a gun. When behind the wheel, a weapon to kill is placed in the driver’s possession. If 16-year olds are permitted to drive, should they also be allowed to run around with hand guns? Pushing the legal driving age back a few years may help prevent thousands of deaths per year by removing from the road unprepared 16-year old drivers who are granted a privilege that they do not yet deserve at this young age.