Well, I get my permit tomorrow and I figured this would be a nice way to kick the stale out of the debate forum.

Do you think the driving age should rise?

Hmm very hard question...

i would say no because 16 is a good age to start taking responsibility.

and i would say yes because a percentage of accidents out there occur because of teenage related problems.(most of that percent is teenage girls)

so really maybe its not the age maybe it should be raised on account of whos ready and whos not... then agian maybe the test to get your license should be harder.

Actually, teenage girls are safer drivers. I learned this in Driver's Ed.

I feel the age shouldn't rise. If you push it off, you create more hassle for families and accidents in the 18-21 range will increase because the same issues will happen. Add a scare tactic to Driver's Ed, make sure to STRESS safe driving, make sure to make the tests a little harder (a 107 Average for Driver's Ed May hint it's too easy), and make sure kids are learning from Driver's Ed, then we'll talk about raising the age.

hmm this is tough but in the end I would say no it shouldn't rise because it's not so much the persons age as thier responsibility... I mean at 16 a persons responsibilty level should be at a decently high point. Waitign till say 18 (like what i'm doing) is good too. (I'm just doing it so I don't have to pay for DE)

yeah you think that now but when your driving down the road with the girl behind you speeding around you while puting on make up and talking on the cell phone all the while messing with the radio... you'll figure out why girls(not all) are horrible drivers

yes the test should be harder, and the DE teacher needs to make sure your learning permantly not just to pass the test

I don’t think that the age should be raised

I agree that the test should be way harder not the maneuverability part but the other part I think that almost anyone could pass that.....

As to girls being worse drivers than boys I got a few stats just to clear a few things up (not saying that I think girl drivers are better than guys it really just depends on the person. I am also not trying to disagree with FL just give everyone real perspectives not just perspectives from a biased point of view/opinion)

1) Males are 50 percent more likely than females to drive over the posted speed limit. source

2) Male drivers involved in fatal motor vehicle crashes are almost twice as likely as female drivers to be intoxicated with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08% or greater (NHTSA 2004b). source

3) Overall, the data show that about 73 percent of all people killed in car accidents are male. For every age, all the way through the mid-90s, male fatalities outnumber female fatalities by a factor of 3 or more. At age 20, for example, there were 14,325 male and 3,238 female drivers killed while traveling alone during the 29-year period.

4) . At the same time, while men log more miles, women log more trips, on average. Indeed, data show that more female drivers are involved in minor accidents while more male drivers are involved in severe accidents, Meyer says. In 2003, for example, 27 percent of the male drivers in fatal crashes had been drinking, whereas only 12.5 percent of the female drivers had done so. And, of male drivers, 34 percent were wearing no seatbelt versus 24 percent for female drivers.

5) In 2003, for example, 27 percent of the male drivers in fatal crashes had been drinking, whereas only 12.5 percent of the female drivers had done so. And, of male drivers, 34 percent were wearing no seatbelt versus 24 percent for female drivers.

6) "Of course, driving is not in our evolutionary history, but in comparison to girls and women, a tendency for boys and men to approach life in a more aggressive and risky manner is a reflection of our evolutionary history—male-male competition in particular," Geary writes. "The sharp increase in the tendency to engage in aggressive, risk-taking behaviors in adolescence and lack of driving skill result in an unfortunate and often deadly combination, as Evans demonstrates."
source for the last 4

As i said before i am not trying to prove that girls or guys are better drivers i just want people to have more to go on than just FL biased opinion

But on a lighter note here are some women that could take a driving lesson or two......

im with everyone else i think-no, the age shouldnt be raised....

no no no it should not be raised and that would make me mad i have 1/2 a year

I think that the you should have to have your temps a full year before driving because my brother did not have any winter driving, and... well... lets just say his titanium leg gives him away at airports.

Also my uncle the works for the FBI says that across the nation, females pay an average of $2.00 more a month for car insurance than males do. I don't know why. :Fro:

No, I think it's fine the way it is, like everyone else said. From what I've heard (just from local police) is that most accidents are from drunk driving and also from teens that just received their licenses.

I don't know if that's accurate info or not, though.

off topic... but AAA rported with conjuction with the U.S. Department of Transportation, that it is more lethal to talk on the phone than DUI in crashes 45mph and above.

If anything, I think it should be lowered for convenience matters. Like driving to or from school functions, or picking up siblings. Or maybe when you have your temps, you shouldn't have to drive with someone licensed and over eighteen. My grandmother was driving around her town at thirteen and never had an accident. I think that it would be beneficial for both parents and teens. However, I think that if it were lowered, that there should be extreme consequences. Like, if someone who has their license and are not sixteen should wreck, they should loose the ability to get their license until they are eighteen and have to take Driver's Ed before then and another course on serious defensive driving, and still pay a fine.

lower the age??uhhhhh. i dont think so..i can see the convenience, but c'mon, you really think 15, 14 year olds have that much common sense or responsibilty? (if your 15 or 14, please excuse that comment) it just doesnt seem right...but thats my opinion (and im 14 so yeah..i know im stupid already and being a driver...eeek) :lol:

16 is a good age to start driving, I think it's fine as-is.

Every accident that happens depends on the person, not the age statistic, or their gender.

As for the driving age lowering, imagining a few people that I know driving on the roads at 14 wouldn't let me sleep at night. Most of them really aren't ready.

15 is a little more reasonable sounding (considering how I was when I was fifteen) though I dont think it should lower.

I bring an old statement here.

"If it isn't broke, dont fix it".

lol silly 14 year old.

yeah I don't think lowering it would be a good idea at all, also considerign some kids don't go through thier growth spurts till after that age, and might not be able to see over the dash.

thats wrong, WL....i just dont think its smart...families already have probs with insurance rates and with 15 year olds on the road, it would make them rise, and then parents would say 'no' to there kids that wanted to drive, then the 'child' would throw a fit......now would it be nice if i could drive? yes...but would i get in trouble? yes...i like speed and radio's blasting wwwaaaayyy too much...

ok size really does matter though, I drove in a car once with a little old lady whose head was almost even with the top of steering wheel... that was scary.

[/QUOTE]My grandmother was driving around her town at thirteen and never had an accident.

when your grandmother was driving the cars went like 15mph and there where 2 other cars now thay are a lot faster and a lot more cars so it should not be lowered.a lot of the [QUOTE]convenience matters would be a lot more a accidents.

Alrighty here let me just say that im not trying to hurt anyone feeling or anything, but i think lowering the driving age would be stupid for a few reasons.

1) 14 and 15 year old children (or kids w/e) do not need that much freedom. Most parents when there kids are that age want to keep a good eye on them (or at least i should hope so).

2) A lot of 14/15 year old might not have the good judgment a older kid would have. About things like listening to the radio too loud, how many people they can have in there car, and how much the need to concentrate on what they are doing.

Those are some of my reasons if someone needs more just let me know and i would be glad to provide them for you

Also i have a few solutions to the problems you mentioned

1) 14/15 years olds getting to school

RIDE THE BUS HON

2) Getting to and from school functions

If someone’s parents don’t care enough to take them don’t go.
Also im sure there are friends that a person could ride with if in a desperate situation.

3) Kids may feel they need a job and a way to get there

When you start diving you can get a job. Not having a job before is good practice after you have a car you will have no money anyways.

Ok if anyone has anymore problems im sure I have answers to those too

As to not having to ride with some one over 18 that’s also a crazy idea

1) They wouldn’t be very much help because very likely you would get into a conversation and neither one would be paying attention

2) 18 year olds tend to not be experienced or great drivers. Having the guidance of a driver that has been driving for years is very helpful

i am with you but you a 16 and that is 1 YEAR older than 15 and 14 is only 2 years it is not that big

well you know 13 is only a year younger than 14 and 12 is only one year younger than 13 and 11 is only one year younger than 12........

get my point?

Lowering it makes no sense. If we have maturity problems now, lowering the standard isn't great. Fourteen is too young because you don't have the need, that and many fourteen year olds aren't the right height yet. Also, I wouldn't trust a fourteen year old with something big like driving.

Raising it makes no sense either. High school students have social issues, their parents can't wheel them around forever, and this is about the time when responsibilities should be doled out, because college isn't that far off. A car/driving is a nice way to grant a responsiblity and it's a trust thing. That and 16 year olds need jobs to raise money for college and for a new car later.

The driving age is fine where it is. I drive now and trust me, it's a huge benefit. My parents don't have to go through the hassle of picking me up or driving me places.

I wonder if grades should play a factor in getting your license. Children who are responsible enough to get good grades should be allowed to drive, though I know that wouldn't solve the problem completely. Kids not responsible enough to drive should be kept off the road though and grades could certainly help determine who is and is not responsible.

And princesspea, I'm not arguing your point, merely challenging to see your response since you offered to help solve more. ;)

Some schools, private schools for instance, do not offer buses.

It's not just school functions. Sports, community services, and other extracurricular activities sometimes demand that you be there. If you can never show up for a practice because you can't get there, you can't be on the team.
Also, you can't always get a ride with people, expecially considering who the people are, where they live, and so on. Carpools are great, but cannot always be set up.

Some parents, mine for example, require the child to pay for the car, at least in portion. Money, sadly, makes the world go round and some kids, very sadly indeed, need to make money to support their families.

im 16 and i say its raised. i have my license but the point of it all is 16 to about 18 are very irresponsible more accidents happen with them then any other age group so yea THEY SUCK AT DRIVING

Or perhaps the system fails to teach teenagers they're invincible? Please, if there are over 50% of teenagers that drive places without getting hurt, killed, or in crashes, then not ALL driver's suck. Ass a scare factor in, I drove for the first time yesterday and I didn't get into any crashes and I didn't do anything mortally wrong...

what about the other 50% that is alot of people still i am not for raising it but 16 =18 are irresponsible

MW: you spelled As

Irresponsible? But, trusted enough to tote around other students for car pooling or siblings for that matter. And to me, if you trust someone's driving enough to place your life or parents placing the lives of siblings in the hands of a sixteen to eighteen year old driver, you're saying you find they're driving well enough and they are responsible enough to not wreck or participate in bad driving habits that would mark adult driving.

Granted, but I didn't use that to say teens were good. I used it to disprove that all teenagers are terrible drivers. Most car accidents seem to have alcohol involved anyway, that 50% isn't too accurate anyway...

if teenagers wouldnt be stupid and drink and just be stupid and irresponsible in general then there would not be a problem

ok even if we changed the law to 18 there a quite a few 18 year olds that are no better than teens

YES! Raising the age, in fact, may trigger unsafe driving because these kids will feel they're mature and "good" enough to be driving and have their own cockyness be their own end. It's not going to change anything but the age bracket.

also i would like to add that since the driving age is 16 beginging drivers still have there parents nexty to them to help them be responsible but if it was 18 a lot of kids may have moved out and stuff and not have anyone to make any rules for them

Er, Princesspea, perhaps you didn't notice but I posed a few questions for you. Don't know if you didn't see em or are just ignoring me. lol.

lol im sorry i didnt see them i was not ignoring you thank you for pointing it out to me

If ones parents do not have the time to drive them to a private school and pick them up every day or have aranged ride for them i personaly would think that they wouldnt put them in that school.

I dont have a perfect solution for everything (in fact i dont have them for most things) But agian here i think the parents need to take some responsiblity...... children should be the first and formost important thing in a parents life. I mean sure it would be nice if everyone could drive.... but we cant. If ones parents could take them to soccer practice when they were 12 im sure they can also take them when they are 14/15

I also had to pay for not only part of my car but all of it....
saving played a big part in me being able to do that. I will just tell you what i did for a job. I watched a little boy and mom drove me and the lady whos son it was drove me home.
I also worked at a place that was 10 min. away from my home i worked all day saturdays and sundays so that was not to much for my parents to take me to.
If the parents can not make a way for the chlid to get money to buy a car i dont really think it fair to make them pay for one.

as to grades playing a part...... well kids with good grades get a discount on insurence that i must say is very helpful indeed.

Perhaps they go to a private school for a Catholic Education/A better Education. It might not be their choice to WANT to drive that far every day in order to do such for their teen, so the teen driving to school saves time, cell phone minutes arranging rides, and allows the teen to have a more flexible schedule. Ever stay after school until 5:00? I didn't think so. Ever stay after school until 5:00 on Friday? Welcome to my week! :) If I could drive, I could neutralize all the downtime that I have after homeworking, that and the fact I don't need to call people to make sure they know what time the carpool comes ETC.

Your ages are off. 16-18 is more accurate. Second of all, High School Sports aren't predictable. You might need to go to a meet at 6:00 AM or something, that's something that teenage drivers should take responsibility for. Also, the fact that parents don't necesarily need to bum around on a cold day to watch their son/daughter play soccer is a huge plus. The other thing, a lesson about repsonsibility, will be further discussed when countering your next point.

I don't get that insurance discount up here. :(. BUT, you've just pointed out my other reason for keeping the driving age lower. Not only are teenage drivers capable, a car is a responsibility. My parents have me on an allowance system until I get a job, this way I can get things I need or want at school without asking them for money. Of course, it is my job and my job alone to manage my money, but that's the good thing. If I want a CD, I make sure I have money for it. Also, I buy food, presents for family, and anything that isn't lunch with my money. It's a great way to learn how to manage things! A car is the same way, you need to pay for a car, keep your car clean, drive safely to pay for your car, along with tune-ups and matenance (sp?). It's a great way to teach a lesson to capable people.

Ahh true MW but what of the ppl who arent and are just stupid, stupid ppl plague the world and should be dealt with but thats another story.

you should be able to rive at 16 just there should be many more precautions taken toward younger drivers

I don't know about in Mass., but in Ohio studies show that girls a laeast over alife time will pay more for insurance... not saying that I plan on Driving without insurance!!

Teenage girls are safer than teenage boys though, that statistic doesn't change a thing.