On May 27, 2004, Eric Johnson turned 16.  He passed his driver’s test, received his license, and for his birthday, got a new 2003 Mazda Protégé.

So far, this is a dream scenario for kids who don’t get new cars for their 16^th birthday.  But young Johnson’s dream shattered less than four months  later when he lost control of the car while speeding down a winding Virginia road, crashed into a tree and was killed instantly.

Now Eric Johnson is just one example of reckless teenage driving, and his fatal accident is a principal reason why some people think the driving age should be raised to 18.

Each year, more than 5,000 teens will die from injuries sustained in vehicle crashes, according to the National Traffic Safety Administration, which says the risk of being involved in a car accident is higher for drivers aged 16 to 19 than for any other age group.  For each mile driven, teens  are about four times more likely to crash as other drivers.

According to Allan Williams, former chief scientist at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 16 to 20 year olds are “the youngest, so they’re all inexperienced [drivers] at that age.  They are pushing the limits and they don’t really have the controls over risk taking in terms of judgment and decision making.” 

Friends say  that they tried to persuade  Johnson to lower his speed, which was over 65  mph in a 35 mph zone.  Speed, combined with inexperience and failure to wear a seat belt added up to disregard for basic safety measures.  And the death of Eric Johnson.

 When you think about it , do you think a majority of 18 year olds would have handled the situation better?

Sixteen is a good age for teenagers to learn how to drive because it’s a time when they are maturing.

 Even though 18 year olds figure to be a little more mature, it all comes down to how much experience and practice each driver has, irrespective of age. It would be unfair to parents who take the time to try and raise their children to know better than to place themselves and their friends in dangerous situations.

 The vehicular fatalities are also high among drivers in the 25 to 34 age group, and alcohol is involved in a high percentage of those crashes.  It is a fact that while 16 year olds can figure out ways to obtain alcohol, it’s not easy.  Drivers in their 20s and 30s don’t have to sneak out to a friend’s house to get alcohol.

Most adults would probably say that they want teenagers to wait until they’re 18 years old to get their license, because they’ll be more mature than 16 year olds. Or the younger teens get into more crashes because they are more frequently under the influence of alcohol and that an 18 year old would know better.

My opinion is that 16  should remain the legal driving age in California, even though they might be a little less mature than they would be at 18.  Getting a  license at 16 requires them to take responsibility for their actions behind the wheel.

If the age to get a license were to be increased to 18, a lot of teens who are mature enough to understand the responsibility that having a driver’s license brings would feel they were being punished. Like any one wanting to go through police academy training or want to become a NASCAR driver, but can’t because having received their first license at age 18  has robbed them of two years of valuable driving experience. Are you willing to let those teens that are ready for the challenge of driving to just sit there and wait? Well are you?