Balancing Individual Rights and the Needs of the Society - Essay Example

Balancing Individual Rights and the Needs of the Society From the issues discussed in the text, the most interesting one is the issue concerning balancing individual rights and the needs of the society. The debate surrounding this issue indicates that there are instances where the wellbeing of the society overrides the rights of the individual. The best example is the issue of driving permits, where the right of an individual to have a permit might infringe on the safety of the society. For example, an individual might have just attained the legal age for driving, but the recklessness associated with the age revokes the permit.

Another case is occurs when an individual is old and frail, and driving might pose a danger to other people in the society. In this case, the need of the society to have safe roads overrides the right of the individual to have a driving permit. In my opinion, the case above should have a statute that restricts driving to individuals over a certain age or with known health complications. This case would begin a debate on the ethical implications of the decision, where the individuals might protest about the infringement on their rights.

However, considering the overall wellbeing of the society, such measures are justified, since the needs of the society should not be subject to the rights of one individual. From research, it is evident that the two age groups that cause the most number of road accidents are the very elderly and the adolescent drivers (IIHS, 2012). Therefore, the justification for restriction of driving permits to these age groups would be the number of accidents that they cause on the roads. Many states have already placed different restrictions on the driving permits for these two age groups, for example, some states restrict minors from driving past some time at night, and other states require stringent medical measures for old drivers (Murphy, 2004).

These measures ensure the satisfaction of the needs of the society, while at the same time, considering the rights of the individual. Discussion Question: Is the need for age restrictions on teenage and old drivers justified? References IIHS.org. (2012). Fatality Facts 2010: Older People. Retrieved on April 10, 2012 from: IIHS.org. (2012). Fatality Facts 2010: Teenagers. Retrieved on April 10, 2012 from: Murphy, K. (2004). Elderly Drivers Pose Policy-Making Challenge. Retrieved on April 10, 2012 from: