Should teens be allowed to drive at 16 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Should teens be allowed to drive at 16 - Essay Example However, processing a drivers license is one of the biggest status symbols among the teenager particularly the high school students. Getting a drivers license is not only a social asset but it makes the teenager feel more independent than ever before. According to the American Automobile Association, teenage drivers account for only 7% of the driving population but are involved in 14% of fatal crashes. Traffic crashes are the number one cause of death and injury for the teenagers between the ages of 15-19 (AACAP, 2005). According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death for young people between the ages of 15 and 20. These deaths account for one-third of all fatalities in this age group. The NHTSA says three factors work together to account for these statistics for teen drivers: inexperience, risk-taking behavior and immaturity and greater risk exposure. Young drivers start out with little knowledge or under standing of the complexities of driving a car. Peer pressure and adolescent impulsiveness can result in poor driving judgment and participation in high-risk behaviors such as speeding, inattention and not using a seatbelt. Teens often drive at night with other teens in the vehicle. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) says that 43 percent of teenage motor vehicle deaths occurred between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. In addition, two out of three teen passenger deaths occurred when the driver of the vehicle was also a teenager (Eldridge, 2005).