Sixteen year-olds may be too irresponsible to be trusted with getting their driver's license; it can be too early of an age to be trusted with such responsibility.

The minimum driving age is 16 years-old. It is made with a really good goal at heart. One of the most important reasons for setting the age, is to make sure a driver has enough maturity and knowledge to properly drive a vehicle. Setting a minimum age allows you and other drivers to feel comfortable on the road; drivers put everyone’s lives in their hands. The goal of setting the driving age is to enable the drivers to be protected and ensure young drivers are prepared for the responsibility of driving a vehicle.

Therefore, at the minimum age to drive, sixteen year-olds are given a lot of responsibility. They are expected to be safe, not just for their own safety, but for other passengers in the car and other vehicles too. However, a recent study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety compared younger drivers’ ability on the road  to adults. The study found, ”Drivers aged 16 to 19 are the most dangerous on the road. They are 3 times more likely than older drivers to be involved in a crash. But even as that teenage population has increased from 14.9 million in 1996 to 16.9 million in 2015, the number of drivers in that age group involved fell by more than half, from 6,021 to 2,898. However, there are signs that the level of fatal accidents involving teens may not stay so low. The number of 16- to 19-year-old drivers involved in fatal accidents crept up in 2014, from 2,584 to 2,622, and again in 2015, to 2,898 — the first increase since 2002.

Studies have shown the number of accidents has been slowly increasing, showing signs that the road might not be as safe as we had recently thought. The age of 16 may have been the most secure course previously; however, it might not be the correct age to begin driving today. Teenage accidents have truly crept up and don’t show signs of stopping.  So, we need to take into account the age that citizens can be trusted to drive today.

It’s not so much about bad decision making, but more about less experience behind the wheel. Because of less experience, teens are known as more dangerous drivers; they simply don’t knowing how to drive well yet.

Consequently, according to a study on young driver’s experience by Fox News, “The majority of teen accidents do not result from drag racing and substance abuse, but are usually because of inexperience behind the wheel. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found that nationally, only a quarter of fatal teen crashes are alcohol related”. So, it isn’t about not trusting young drivers, but about low experienced driver’s taking over the road. We all have to consider a sixteen year old’s experience when they are receiving a driver's license or taking their road test.

Whereas you may be physically ready, you may not be mentally ready. These laws are made for a reason and the fact that some people misuse them, means they have to change. Too many people have broken GDL or risked other citizens’ lives by driving recklessly and carelessly.

According to a Fox News research in 2005 comparing brain development, they found, “Recent brain imaging studies by the National Institute of Mental Health and UCLA have found that the brain is developing much later than previously thought. The brain is still developing until a person is about 25 years old”. There is awareness in the safety and control of the young drivers, but is this the most conflicting reason when young drivers are on the road? Some of this irresponsibility may be coming from the fact that their brains are still developing. Young drivers are simply not able to make a fast decision based on how little the brain has developed. When they are a little older, their brains will be more developed and they will be able to make more  rational decisions.

This means that maybe more attention needs to be given to unhealthy habits. By waiting to get a driver’s license, teens have been shown to stop unhealthy multitasking habits. The longer you might wait to settle in to high school and focus on your grades can actually do you some good. Unhealthy habits could be ripped away from you and you could realize so much more than what you previously saw through your younger eyes. According to Vision Watch, “In the younger teen years, smartphones and other technology distractions can make driving very dangerous. At the age of 18, there have been adjustments made so that technology isn’t as important as driving when compared to the age of 16”.

Driver’s minds need to stay on the road no matter how old they are. Younger drivers are more likely to want to use devices while driving. I don’t think that lawmakers are actually taking in the amount of risk that's taking place as the younger driver’s conquer the roads. They are not only risking their lives, but they are risking the lives of my friends and family members when they drive while using electronic devices.

Over the years, I know that lawmakers have considered many reasons for the recommended minimum driving age. They should now also look at the clear decline of 16 to 19 year-old fatal crashes and the new studies that have been done. They might also consider the potential increase of the amount of teens getting more fit and stronger if they were not able to drive until they are older. According to a recent study in 2018, SafeWise claimed by removing the option to drive, teens become more active, “It is thought that removing the option to drive will cause more teens to walk, ride bikes, or use other active options to get places. This could cut back on teenage obesity levels by providing more opportunities for exercise”.

Humans’ natural instinct is to improve. So, in order for all of this safety to come in, do we really need to have the minimum driver’s age so early? By waiting longer to have driver’s drive and get their licenses, we can improve not only the safety, but also decrease the teenage obesity numbers. Keeping the drivers age where it is might only weaken the system. There can be a change and this change could make the roads less dangerous. An older minimum driving age would make young teens more stable, more responsible, and healthier.