Suppose the state is considering a proposal to raise the legal driving age from 16 to 18. The following letter addresses this proposal.
Dear Editor,
I understand that the state wants to raise the driving age to 18. That change would be a great mistake.
The reason usually given for raising the driving age is that it would prevent more accidents. Of course it would prevent more accidents; but if we insist on that logic, why stop at 18? If we make the legal driving age 25, we would prevent even more accidents, and thirty would prevent even more.
If we required a college degree, ten years work experience, and a good credit rating, our roads would be so safe that in a few short years the state would have to start laying off highway patrolmen. And since married people seem to have safer driving records than single people, we should require someone to marry in order to get a driver’s license.
You say I’m being silly. You say twenty-year-old singles have real reasons for driving. I say you are right. And so do many sixteen-year-olds as well. Students can begin working at age 16. Do you really want to force those high schoolers out of a job? If they cannot drive, many will have a difficult time getting to work. Sometimes their families depend on the extra income they earn.
Let us be reasonable. Raising the driving age significantly hurts a segment of our population and gives us little in return. This proposed increase in the driving age makes no sense.
Sincerely,
A Student Driver
Use the passage to answer the question.
Which is the best supporting statement to add to this letter?
A. A college degree benefits all student drivers in many ways.
B. Eighteen-year-olds might live away from home before they ever learn to drive.
C. Typically, the types of jobs most high school students have are part-time.
D. Most drivers in America are above the age of eighteen.
2 answers
3 answers