In the past few days, driver's license has been one of the issues that members of the community

have
become interested in. Since it was one of the controversial topics, they disagreed about it. Some
people think that getting a driver's license at an early age is positive and has many advantages.
However, others oppose it and believe that it has many drawbacks.

On the one hand, it’s safer, as the fatal crashes rate per mile driven for teens aged 18 or 19 year-olds
is nearly 3 times the rate for drivers ages 20 and over. It is thought that raising the driving age to 20
could help lower the overall rate of fatal crashes. Also, it will make teens more active. It is thought
that removing the option to drive will cause more teens to walk, ride bikes, or use other active
options to get places. This could cut back on teenage obesity levels by providing more opportunities
for exercise. 20 year-olds are more emotionally mature than 18 year-olds. Emotional maturity
increases as we age, and it’s thought that 20 year-olds are more likely to make smart decisions
without giving in to peer pressure than 18 year-olds.

On the other hand, it limits transportation options for teens. Teens these days are involved in more
activities than ever. School, extracurricular activities, jobs, and social events usually require some
form of transportation. If the teens can’t drive themselves, the responsibility for transportation often
falls to their parents who may not have the time or ability, or public transportation, which may not be
readily available. This can limit the options these kids have for personal growth at a critical age.
Moreover, it will delay the gaining of valuable experience and the best way to learn how to do
something is to do it. The argument here is that the higher crash rates for 18- and 19-year-olds may
just be because they are new to driving and lack experience. Delaying the start of driving may just
delay that learning and shift the crash rates more toward the 20-year-olds.

There is a study called "Driver's License" and it was published in "Street" magazine in 2009. This
study examined the opinions of members of the community, and researchers found that 85% of
people support getting a driver's license at an early age, because it helps them get around in a faster
way.

In conclusion, Whichever side of the argument you fall on, we encourage you to stay invested in your
child’s safety as they learn to drive. To help keep them accountable, consider installing a vehicle gps
tracker or dash cam so you can see how they drive and have conversations about how to improve
their safety behind the wheel.

Drake, c. (1996) Adolescent Life: Why the Minimum Age for a Driver's License Should Be Raised,
[online], available at: www.bookstation.com, [March 20, 2020].