The legal driving age in Illinois should be raised from 16 - Research Paper Example

Even though many reasons were cited for increasing number of car accidents, the major reasons are underage driving, drink driving or driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs etc. Even though in many of the American states, the legal driving age is 18, Illinois is one state in America in which the driving age is fixed to 16. The increasing car accident statistics from Illinois clearly point towards the necessities of raising legal driving age from 16. This paper briefly analyses the necessities of raising legal driving age from 16 in Illinois.

Problems associated with driving at the age of 16 “According to a recent study by American Automobile Association, 30917 fatalities over the last ten years were the result of crashes involves drivers ages 15-17 years old” (Peters, 2007). Driving is a dangerous act and it is not a childish play since we consider the consequences of accidents. Accidents can take the lives of the driver, fellow passengers and other innocent people on the road. It is ethically wrong to give the control of a vehicle in the hands of an immature person.

Age sixteen, under no means is a matured age. Even for getting voting rights, completion of eighteen years of age is necessary in America. In other words, American administration believes that a person under the age of eighteen is incapable of taking sound or matured decisions. In American military, only people who crossed eighteen years of age are admitted. The legal drink age is fixed at eighteen years in most of the American states. The above examples clearly show that a person below eighteen years of age is incapable of handling tough situations and taking sound decisions.

Driving is an act which requires continuous decision making. Any immature decision taken at the wrong time can cause accidents on and off the road. Under such circumstances, it is better to give the control of steering to people who crossed at least eighteen years of age. “Empirically, a number of reports and survey show that the accidents prevalence rates among the underage drivers was very high and a greet cause of concern among parents and authorities” (Wilson, 2010). Driving a vehicle can be very dangerous for someone not having the proper experience and knowledge about the rules and regulations given by the state.

Before being given a driver license a person should have completed certain age. The legal driving age set by the state Illinois is too low when we consider the complexities in driving a vehicle. Mind, hands and legs of the driver should be coordinated properly for ensuring safe driving. It is difficult for the children of age sixteen to get better coordination of mind, hands and legs. Moreover, it is difficult for the teenagers to take sound driving decisions. For example, teenagers like to drive their vehicle as fast as they can.

They may not think properly about their steering or vehicle controlling abilities or the probabilities of accidents. Unnecessary overtaking and injudicious decision making while overtaking can cause big accidents. “Driving while either intoxicated or drunk is dangerous and drivers with high blood alcohol content or concentration (BAC) are at greatly increased risk of car accidents, highway injuries and vehicular deaths”(Drinking and driving, 2009). Most of the children in America taste the drinks even at an early age of below twelve years.

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