Issues on Teenage Drivers - Essay Example

TEENAGE DRIVERS Introduction How many times have you opened up a newspaper and seen articles related to car crashes caused by reckless driving by teenagers If you are amongst the regular newspaper readers, then you definitely must have quite a few times. Teenage driving is becoming a growing cause of concern through out the world. Statistics show that 16 year old drivers are 20 times as likely to be the cause of an accident as the general public and those that are 17 year old are 6 times as likely to have a car accident (Ipp, 1997). Teenagers are mostly overconfident and lack the maturity and reflexes needed to counter the challenges faced on road. Moreover driving under the influence of alcohol or other drugs multiplies the risks of car accidents for these teenagers. Backed up by several statistical evidences, facts, and medical researches, most of the people are of the view that children should be at least 18 years old to get a driving license. (Davis, 2005) However, many people also believe that the sweeping statement blaming all young drivers should not be made as there are only a portion of the total teenage drivers that cause the major chunk of accidents (Davis, 2005). Several people, including parents, prefer having their children be able to drive as soon as possible so as to lessen their burden of having to drive their children to schools and universities and after school events such as parties and movies. This paper will shed light on why teenage driving is a cause of concern for the people and lawmakers and share the views of people and researchers in this regard. Risks of teenage driving The statistics show that every year about 5500 to 6000 teenagers lose their lives in car crashes proving it to be the most common way for a teenager to lose his life (valdes-dapena, 2005). There are many factors contributing to this. Teenagers are most likely to take risks. These risks might be influenced by various sources including emotions and peer group pressure. Other stresses caused by their busy schedules, considering that a lot of teenagers in many parts of the world attend school and universities and work at the same time, also contribute to taking risks (Ipp, 1997). Moreover, the young high school or college going children, are often under the influence of alcohol and marijuana while driving. Put bluntly, beginner drivers simply lack the experience and ability required to carry out the simple looking yet complex tasks associated with everyday driving and hence controlling the vehicle at high speeds especially in response to hazards that might be done quite easily by an experienced driver, may become very difficult for young drivers. As the sun sets, adolescents behind wheels become even riskier (Ipp, 1997). The Medical Aspect Scientists at the NIH campus in Bethesda, Md., have found that the careless attitudes and rash emotions that influence teenagers' decisions are due to a crucial part of the human brain that remains undeveloped until the age of 25. This part of the brain is responsible for influencing better decision making and impulse control and is among the latest to build up (davis, 2005). This NIH research was led by Jay Giedd, chief of brain imaging in the child psychiatric unit at the National Institute of Mental Health. Jay Giedd, along with a team of professional researchers, analyzed 4000 brain scans from 2000 volunteers to record how brains develop as children grow up and mature. His analysis illustrated a very important point. An area of the brain, called the dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex, remains under developed until the age of 25 (Davis, 2005). This area helps a person to 'look further ahead' and make sound and mature decisions. Due to the slow process of this area's development, as the children's bodies grow physically, their hormones encourage more risk-taking and thrill-seeking. But as the hormones ignite the limbic system which is responsible for responding to pleasure, emotions run high. These emotions cause difficulty in making the intelligent judgments needed in everyday driving. (Davis, 2005) Real Life Cases Many incidents of teenage deaths have been observed since decades causing the loss of children, siblings and friends. Among them were the following: Dr. Arturo Betancourt and his wife Lulu lost their 16 year old daughter Alicia in a car accident. Alicia went out with her boyfriend on a Friday night and became the tragic victim of a teenage driver as her boy friend lost control of the car and crashed. Under law, Alicia's death was a tragic accident, not a crime. (Stafford, 2005) A 17 year old died when his car burst into flames after hitting a tree at about 9 am in the morning. (Teen burns to death in car crash, 2004) Jessie bell, aged 16, died on July 6th 2003. She lost control of the vehicle on a Missouri high way, crashing and dying on the spot. (Davis, 2005) Facts and stats Every year, 5,500 to 6,000 teens die in car crashes (valdes-dapena, 2005). Compared to the older drivers, teens aged 16-19 have 4 times as many chances of causing car crashes (Teen Drivers: Fact sheet, 2008). In 2005, 12 percent of the deaths by car accidents were caused by teenage drivers (Teen Drivers: Fact sheet, 2008). Among males, 30 percent of the total motor vehicle injuries' costs are caused by persons aged between 15 and 24. And 28% by the females (Teen Drivers: Fact sheet, 2008). In the car crashes in 2005 of persons aged 15 to 20, 38% were speeding and 24% were under the influence of alcohol (Teen Drivers: Fact sheet, 2008). In contrast to other age groups, teens are reported to wear seatbelts the lowest (Teen Drivers: Fact sheet, 2008). Supporting Teenage Driving Although from the discussion so far, it is evident that teenage driving is surrounded by risks and danger, there still remain the minority that support driving at a young age. These include mostly the young drivers themselves and surprisingly, parents as well (Davis, 2005). Even though those who oppose raising the minimum age for driving license constitute to be a minority in every part of the country, the fact is that they exist. This minority is of the view that it is not just to blame the entire lot for the fault of a few reckless drivers. It is true that high speeds and reckless drunk driving are desires for 16-17 year old children, but according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, only about 10% of the death resulting accidents by 16 year old drivers were due to drunk driving compared with the astonishing 43% amongst 20 to 49 year old drivers (Davis, 2005). Most 16-17 year olds ignore the risks they put themselves and the others around them into. A driving license goes way beyond just being able to drive a car for these children. For them, it represents liberty and mobility. The liberty to go out on their own, drive themselves to school and work making it possible for them to have access to money without asking for it from their parents all the time. For some parents too, it is of great help. It reduces the burden on them of chauffeuring their kids around, dropping and picking them to school or after school events. Lawmakers' and Parents' Roles The driver classes given in high school that teach the basic skills of driving a car have not really proven to cause a decrement in the crash rates. According to the IIHS, classes that teach children slightly superior driving skills are proved to worsen the situation as children attending these classes tend to get over confident with their driving skills and are more likely to cause a crash (Valdes-Dapena, 2005). The credit for any restriction on teenage driving and their safety also goes to civil societies and pressures from citizens and various non-profit organizations; today in almost every state 16 year old drivers are required to pass through graduated licensing systems. With this, the young teenagers are applied with certain restrictions on their driving license. They are required to drive a certain number of hours under parents supervision before being allowed to carry passengers in the car, driving at night or driving alone (Valdes-Dapena, 2005). However, the most important role to be played here is by the parents. Parents need to keep a check on their children and supervise them and beware them of the risks associated with driving fast, diving under the influence of alcohol etc. A child would be most likely to listen to his parent's advice than of any other authority, according to a survey by the Allstate foundation (Valdes-Dapena, 2005). Conclusion So should young teenagers be allowed to drive without supervision According to a poll conducted by CNN, about 61% of the people think 16 years is too young of an age to be behind wheels while only 37% thought it was reasonable for 16 year olds to drive. 18, according to 53% of the people, are believed to be the right age for a driving license (Davis, 2005). Even though majority of the people support the idea of raising the driving age, the answer to the posed question would, however, vary from person to person and remains debatable. Nevertheless statistics, facts and researches over shadow the minorities that support not raising the driving age and prove that in order to save thousands of lives lost every year by car accidents, raising the driving age is in the best interest of the citizens of the country. Works Cited 1. Arellano, j. (2006, july 7). Tougher teenage driving laws: pros and cons. autoblog . 2. Ipp, D. M. (1997, january). teenagers behind the wheel. Retrieved april 13th, 2008, from www.utoronto.ca: http://www.utoronto.ca/kids/teens1.htm 3. Stafford, r. (2005, july 8). The perils of teen driving. Retrieved april 14, 2008, from www.msnbc.msn.com: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8501174/ 4. Teen burns to death in car crash. (2004, december 25). Retrieved april 14, 2008, from www.smh.com.au: http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Teen-burns-to-death-in-car-crash/2004/12/24/1103825082818.html 5. Teen drivers: Fact sheet. (2008, march 20). Retrieved april 14, 2008, from centers for disease control and prevention: http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/factsheets/teenmvh.htm 6. Teenage driver deaths on the rise. (2006, april monday). Retrieved april 14, 2008, from www.news.bbc.co.uk: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4871854.stm 7. teens and driving. (1997, july). Retrieved april 14, 2008, from www.viamagazine.com: http://www.viamagazine.com/top_stories/safety/teendrive97.asp 8. Valdes-dapena, p. (2005, november 18). Teen drivers: Keeping your kid alive. Retrieved april 14, 2008, from www.money.cnn.com: http://money.cnn.com/2005/11/16/Autos/tipsandadvice/teen_drivers/index.htm 9. Davis Robert (2005) Is 16 Too Young TO Drive A Car USA TODAY. http://www.ghsa.org/html/media/mediacoverage/2005/030205b.html Read More