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Determining a Legal Driving Age
Write an informative essay about considerations lawmakers should make when determining a legal driving age. Your expository essay must be based on this prompt and topic, and it must incorporate ideas and information found in both sources provided. Use your best writing to complete an essay that
is focused on your central idea;
combines evidence from multiple sources with your own elaboration to develop your ideas;
is organized and includes transitions within and among ideas;
provides citations for quoted material and source ideas; and
demonstrates correct use of grammar and language appropriate to the task.
Source One: "Is 16 too young to drive? Some say wait till 17"
By Martha Irvine
Taking aim at a long‑standing rite of passage for 16‑year‑olds, an influential auto‑safety group is calling on states to raise the age for getting a driver’s license to 17 or even 18.
Adrian Lund, president of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, a research group funded by the auto‑insurance industry, acknowledged the idea is “a tough sell.” . . .
“The bottom line is that when we look at the research, raising the driving age saves lives,” Lund said. He plans to present the proposal today at the annual conference of the Governors Highway Safety Association in Scottsdale, Ariz.
Not surprisingly, a lot of teens hate the idea.
“I would really be upset because I’ve waited so long to drive,” said Diamante White, a 16‑year‑old in Reading, [PA], who got her permit in July. She said learning to drive is a “growing‑up experience.”
Many parents agree. They also like not having to chauffeur their teens to school, sporting events and any number of other places.
“Do we really want our kids dependent upon parents for virtually everything until they go to college, can vote and serve their country?” asked Margaret Menotti, a mother in Uxbridge, Mass.
She argued that keeping teens from driving would only make them less responsible. . . .
Barbara Harsha, executive director of the Governors Highway Safety Association, said she welcomes a debate on raising the driving age—as do many who deal with public health.
Source Two: "Doing Driver’s Ed Right"
By Nika Harris
All Answers 1
Answered by
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Determining the legal driving age requires lawmakers to balance public safety, adolescent development, and social and economic realities. Research and expert opinion point to clear safety benefits from delaying full licensure, but community values and practical concerns caution against simple, one‑size‑fits‑all solutions. To craft effective policy, legislators should weigh evidence about crash risk and brain development, consider the social costs of restricting mobility, and invest in stronger licensing systems and driver education that reduce risk while preserving independence. Drawing on reporting about proposals to raise the age for a license and on best practices for driver education, this essay outlines the key considerations that should shape any change to the legal driving age (Irvine; Harris).
Safety outcomes are central. Advocates for raising the age argue the move would reduce teen crash deaths. As Adrian Lund of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety put it, “the bottom line is that when we look at the research, raising the driving age saves lives” (Irvine). Crash rates per mile driven are highest among novice drivers, particularly younger teens, and early unsupervised driving exposes them to dangerous situations—distracted peers, night driving, and alcohol or drug use—that aggravate risk. Lawmakers must therefore start from a clear public‑health perspective: if empirical evidence links a higher minimum age to fewer injuries and fatalities, that evidence carries significant weight in any policy decision.
At the same time, policymakers cannot ignore the social and developmental context. For many families and teens, obtaining a license at 16 is a milestone tied to independence, work, school attendance, and family logistics. Teen voices reported in the press emphasize that driving is a “growing‑up experience,” and parents note the practical burdens of transporting teens to activities (Irvine). Lawmakers should recognize that removing or postponing that freedom affects education and employment opportunities for adolescents—particularly in rural or transit‑poor areas—and may impose costs on families who would otherwise rely on teen drivers.
A third, often overlooked factor is adolescent brain development and behavior. Teens are more prone to risk taking and have less mature decision‑making systems than adults; these features help explain why crash rates decline with age and experience. Policy responses can therefore focus not only on age limits but on reducing exposure to high‑risk situations until young drivers develop better judgment and skills.
Given these tradeoffs, strengthening the licensing system and driver education should be a central part of any reform. Reporting on effective approaches to driver training emphasizes that better, more comprehensive driver education can reduce crashes by ensuring novices gain practical skills and understanding before and after licensure (Harris). Lawmakers should require or incentivize evidence‑based driver education that includes substantial supervised behind‑the‑wheel practice, hazard‑perception training, and instruction on distracted and impaired driving. Simulation and staged skill assessments can give teens experience in difficult conditions (night, rain, highway) under controlled settings, improving preparedness when they drive independently.
Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) systems are another proven tool that lawmakers should consider tightening or expanding. GDL phases—supervised learning, intermediate licenses with restrictions (such as limits on night driving and passenger numbers), and full licensure—allow teens to accumulate experience while limiting exposure to especially risky situations. Combining a later age for unrestricted driving with a supervised learning period creates a two‑pronged approach: it reduces the window of highest crash risk and ensures that teens get more guided practice before they drive on their own.
Enforcement and parental involvement matter as well. Even the best rules have limited effect without enforcement and monitoring. Lawmakers should establish clear, enforceable penalties for violations of intermediate restrictions and promote systems that make compliance simpler (for example, electronic logs of supervised hours). Encouraging or requiring a parental contract and training on how to supervise practice drives can leverage caregivers’ role in reducing teen risk (Harris). Public education campaigns—about the reasons for any age change and about the importance of graduated restrictions and good supervision—will help secure buy‑in and improve compliance.
Equity and access must also guide legislative choices. A higher driving age may disproportionately burden low‑income teens who rely on driving for work or school, and rural communities with limited transit options will feel an outsized impact. Lawmakers should consider exemptions or parallel programs—such as expanded school‑based transportation, subsidized driver training, or staggered licensure linked to employment and educational needs—to avoid unfairly penalizing vulnerable populations.
Finally, policy should be data‑driven and adaptable. If states change the minimum age, they should pair that move with strengthened GDL rules, improved driver education, and clear enforcement, and they should collect and review crash and licensing data to assess impacts. As Barbara Harsha of the Governors Highway Safety Association noted, the debate about raising the driving age is welcome among those who work in public health, suggesting a role for ongoing evaluation and adjustment (Irvine).
In conclusion, determining a legal driving age is not solely a question of picking a number. Lawmakers should prioritize safety evidence—recognizing that higher ages can save lives—while also addressing the social, developmental, and equity implications of restricting teen mobility. The most effective reforms will combine careful age thresholds (if supported by local data) with stronger, evidence‑based driver education, rigorous graduated licensing, parental involvement, enforceable restrictions, and measures to protect access for disadvantaged teens. Such a balanced, data‑informed approach can reduce crashes and preserve the legitimate needs of young people and their families (Irvine; Harris).
Safety outcomes are central. Advocates for raising the age argue the move would reduce teen crash deaths. As Adrian Lund of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety put it, “the bottom line is that when we look at the research, raising the driving age saves lives” (Irvine). Crash rates per mile driven are highest among novice drivers, particularly younger teens, and early unsupervised driving exposes them to dangerous situations—distracted peers, night driving, and alcohol or drug use—that aggravate risk. Lawmakers must therefore start from a clear public‑health perspective: if empirical evidence links a higher minimum age to fewer injuries and fatalities, that evidence carries significant weight in any policy decision.
At the same time, policymakers cannot ignore the social and developmental context. For many families and teens, obtaining a license at 16 is a milestone tied to independence, work, school attendance, and family logistics. Teen voices reported in the press emphasize that driving is a “growing‑up experience,” and parents note the practical burdens of transporting teens to activities (Irvine). Lawmakers should recognize that removing or postponing that freedom affects education and employment opportunities for adolescents—particularly in rural or transit‑poor areas—and may impose costs on families who would otherwise rely on teen drivers.
A third, often overlooked factor is adolescent brain development and behavior. Teens are more prone to risk taking and have less mature decision‑making systems than adults; these features help explain why crash rates decline with age and experience. Policy responses can therefore focus not only on age limits but on reducing exposure to high‑risk situations until young drivers develop better judgment and skills.
Given these tradeoffs, strengthening the licensing system and driver education should be a central part of any reform. Reporting on effective approaches to driver training emphasizes that better, more comprehensive driver education can reduce crashes by ensuring novices gain practical skills and understanding before and after licensure (Harris). Lawmakers should require or incentivize evidence‑based driver education that includes substantial supervised behind‑the‑wheel practice, hazard‑perception training, and instruction on distracted and impaired driving. Simulation and staged skill assessments can give teens experience in difficult conditions (night, rain, highway) under controlled settings, improving preparedness when they drive independently.
Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) systems are another proven tool that lawmakers should consider tightening or expanding. GDL phases—supervised learning, intermediate licenses with restrictions (such as limits on night driving and passenger numbers), and full licensure—allow teens to accumulate experience while limiting exposure to especially risky situations. Combining a later age for unrestricted driving with a supervised learning period creates a two‑pronged approach: it reduces the window of highest crash risk and ensures that teens get more guided practice before they drive on their own.
Enforcement and parental involvement matter as well. Even the best rules have limited effect without enforcement and monitoring. Lawmakers should establish clear, enforceable penalties for violations of intermediate restrictions and promote systems that make compliance simpler (for example, electronic logs of supervised hours). Encouraging or requiring a parental contract and training on how to supervise practice drives can leverage caregivers’ role in reducing teen risk (Harris). Public education campaigns—about the reasons for any age change and about the importance of graduated restrictions and good supervision—will help secure buy‑in and improve compliance.
Equity and access must also guide legislative choices. A higher driving age may disproportionately burden low‑income teens who rely on driving for work or school, and rural communities with limited transit options will feel an outsized impact. Lawmakers should consider exemptions or parallel programs—such as expanded school‑based transportation, subsidized driver training, or staggered licensure linked to employment and educational needs—to avoid unfairly penalizing vulnerable populations.
Finally, policy should be data‑driven and adaptable. If states change the minimum age, they should pair that move with strengthened GDL rules, improved driver education, and clear enforcement, and they should collect and review crash and licensing data to assess impacts. As Barbara Harsha of the Governors Highway Safety Association noted, the debate about raising the driving age is welcome among those who work in public health, suggesting a role for ongoing evaluation and adjustment (Irvine).
In conclusion, determining a legal driving age is not solely a question of picking a number. Lawmakers should prioritize safety evidence—recognizing that higher ages can save lives—while also addressing the social, developmental, and equity implications of restricting teen mobility. The most effective reforms will combine careful age thresholds (if supported by local data) with stronger, evidence‑based driver education, rigorous graduated licensing, parental involvement, enforceable restrictions, and measures to protect access for disadvantaged teens. Such a balanced, data‑informed approach can reduce crashes and preserve the legitimate needs of young people and their families (Irvine; Harris).
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