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Bertrand's ACE Debate


Debate Info

33
24
yes - increase it no - keep it the same
Debate Score:57
Arguments:47
Total Votes:64
More Stats

Argument Ratio

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 yes - increase it (21)
 
 no - keep it the same (22)

Debate Creator

mbertrand(62) pic



15spring driving age

yes - increase it

Side Score: 33
VS.

no - keep it the same

Side Score: 24
4 points

I think we should move the driving age up to at least eighteen or twenty one, because teens are still irresponsible at 16 than they would be at an older age such as at least eighteen. Teenagers can cause many more accidents than people who are older than sixteen or seventeen year olds. Teenager shouldn't be placed in this kind of situation before they even start smoking or drinking, even though they only choose to do those kind of things.

I know some teenagers would go out driving out in the night and during the day and could end up getting pulled over by police and end up not having their license and end up getting a ticket for not having their license and speeding or something other than that.

Source http://www.debate.org/opinions/should-the-legal-driving-age-stay-the-same:

Side: yes - increase it
2 points

I think that the driving age should be raised to eighteen because it will be better for all drivers. Many kids between the ages of fifteen to seventeen get in accidents. Between 1995 and 2004, there were 30,917 fatalities in accidents, according to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. About a third of those fatalities were from teen drivers. The rest were pedestrians, passengers, and people in cars that teen drivers struck.

By JOHN M. CRISP, Scripps Howard News Service

Side: yes - increase it
2 points

I believe that the driving age should be raised to 18. I believe this because more 16 and 17 year olds get in car accidents than any other age. John M. Crisp, from Scripps Howard News Service, says that, "16-year-old drivers have more accidents per highway mile than any other age group. And the Centers for Disease Control reported recently that traffic accidents are the leading cause of death for American teenagers, accounting for about a third of all deaths in that age group.” This piece of evidence shows that every mile have had most of their accidents happen because of 16 year olds. Crisp also said that, "more maturity, experience, and responsibility, would at least have the practical effect of reducing the number of 16-year-olds." I think that this could be a solution to the many accidents and it could reduce the many deaths occurring because of them.

Another reason is that they are very irresponsible drivers; "They are runners of red lights and they drink too much while driving. Lately, they've been yakking on cell phones and texting behind the wheel.” (John M. Crisp from Scripps Howard News Service) I have seen the things that are mentioned (texting/talking on the phone, drinking and driving, and running red lights) and I think that it is very irresponsible. It needs to stop immediately and upping the driving age will fix this problem.

Side: yes - increase it
20mkrause(5) Clarified
1 point

They might say that we should not raise the driving age because teenagers need a source of transportation a lot of the time but I disagree. Teenagers have other sources, such as, their parents could drop them off or their older siblings could, also they could take the bus or walk to wherever they are going. Therefore it is not necessary for a teenager to have their drivers license to go places.

Side: yes - increase it
2 points

Yes, I definitely believe that the driving age should be raised to 18, for multiple reasons. First of all, 16 year old's could be less irresponsible than 18 year old's, and may not take driving as a serious matter, like an adult would. Also, teens could get more easily distracted by their phones, passengers, and self looks. According to statistics from 2014, 1.3 million people died in car crashes. More than half of them were caused by young adults, and teens. Many people say that younger aged driving accidents are not based on age, but on inexperience. I would have to say that if the driving age was raised to 18, that would give kids more time to ride in a car, and experience how it all works. Therefore, I believe raising the driving age to 18, would make for more experienced drivers, and less accidents.

Side: yes - increase it
2 points

I agree because kids at 16 don't realize that driving has to be a serious matter. When they are 18 and have many responsibilities, they will realize that it's also a responsibility to stay safe and be a good driver. If you are 18, you will definitely take driving as a serious matter.

Also, if the driving age is raised, parents could help kids that are 16-17 understand how to use everything in a car and stay safe while driving.

Side: yes - increase it
2 points

I also think that we should raise the driving age, because of the lack of training the students get before they actually take the driving test. However, according to Alexander Sostarecz he sometimes notices how bad teen drivers are when they are pulling out of their driveway, or pulling out a a parking lot at school, and he wonders how they got their license when they drive so recklessly. Many teenagers never realize that their hand-eye coordination skills aren't developed yet, and they end up getting into accidents. The biggest problem of sixteen, seventeen, or younger is the use of a cellphone. Teenagers are always so worried about what they get for a text than what they should be focusing on the road. Although there has been many campaigns to stop texting and driving, yet teenagers don't care about that and go ahead with still texting and driving.

I think that they don’t get as much experience before actually taking the test, because all they do is learn and take tests and have to remember how to do it, but they never actually experience driving until they have the test.

Sources:

http://articles.mcall.com/2013-04-11/opinion/mc-teen-driving-age-sostarecz-ithink-0412-20130411 1driving-age-teens-freedom

Side: yes - increase it
20jmoore(7) Disputed
2 points

I don't believe that students "lack of training" for driving. Because I believe that students get through education on the topic of driving.

Also, officials are very serious when it comes to the drivers test. Because, students can get points taken off on any mistake.

Side: no - keep it the same
2 points

At age 16, most people are not fully mature. Many teens do not realize that their reflexes and hand-eye coordination skills are not fully developed yet, and they can end up getting in accidents. The frontal lobe of their brains isn't fully developed which is the part that weighs risks and makes judgements. This can be very bad for teens driving. If the age was raised to 18, their brains would be fully developed and their driving would be much better and safer.

Supporting Evidence: Source (www.debate.org)
Side: yes - increase it
2 points

A problem with the driving age at 16 is that many teens text and use their cellphones while driving. They like the contact their friends and family. Using cellphones while driving can be a huge distraction while driving. Fifty-six percent of teens say that they talk on the phone while driving. This is a huge number of people who may be distracted. Talking on a cellphone can double the likelihood of an accident as well as slow a young driver’s reaction time down to that of a 70-year-old. Having this happen is a huge safety issue for all teens.

Another problem is texting. Kids get so worried about having a text message and wanting to read it, that they will go on their phone and risk their safety.

Since kids now have grown up with technology, there is more of a chance that they will use their cellphones while driving. The risks of using a phone when driving is very bad and is a huge safety issue.

Supporting Evidence: Source (www.dosomething.org)
Side: yes - increase it
2 points

I think they should raise the driving age, because, now that teens are more open to technology there would be more accidents and younger teens would like to show off with speeding. And teens are always texting and driving now a days, which will cause more accidents there has been many many commercials on texting and driving.

Most teens say they wont do it but they will end up doing it. Teens don't believe that we shouldn't raise the driving age because they wait forever and now that they are 16 they finally get to drive but at 16 many many many teens are still irresponsible. I believe teens should wait until they are 18, because they can do so much more stuff you can go and vote, and if you have your license you can go do all of that on your own. So if your 16 the only places you would go is stores, friends, school, and work, nothing fun once your 18 you can move out. You will have your license and your own car as well so once your 18 you will have so many more things to do once you become an adult.

Side: yes - increase it
1 point

I agree with your statement about how teens can very distracted with all the new technology. According to the AAA 46% percent of teens admitted to texting and driving which makes them every likely to hurt other and themselves. Also over 51% have said that they talk on the phone and drive too.

Source:http://www.driversedguru.com/driving-articles/drivers-ed-extras/46-of-teenagers-admit-to-text-messaging- while-driving/

Side: yes - increase it
2 points

I strongly think that the driving age should be raised to 18, because of that one word that we all know and hate....death. According to a recent study researched by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, around 2,000 teenage drivers under the age of 18 died in car crashes. Some say that raising the driving age to 18 would just result in deaths at a later age, but I still think that those precious two extra years of life are worth living through. On a more positive note, raising the driving age could overall decrease those numbers of death. Starting out on the road as an older, more responsible and mature driver really makes a difference, and could result in fewer automobile caused deaths.

Side: yes - increase it
1 point

I think we should increase the driving age because of these 3 reasons. My first reason is that more teens deaths than any other age group of driving age. My second reason is that 16-year-old's have less inexperience than everyone making them even more likely to crash and get hurt, and they need more practice before getting their driver license. my last reason is that hey hurt more people more than their self.

Source:https://docs.google.com/a/kimberly.k12.wi.us/file/d/0Bz48-KNlSGh4WVFRcTdfX2lGWFU/edit

Side: yes - increase it
1 point

I think we should raise the driving age because more accidents occur when people are at a younger age. I believe that teenagers sixteen-seventeen are more likely to get into more car crashes than people who are eighteen-nineteen and have already was more educated than the people who are sixteen and will take it more seriously. Also for both men and women, drivers aged 16 to 19 years of age have the highest average annual crash and traffic violation rates of any other age group. Also teenagers are more likely to space out and not concentrate on what their doing than concentrating on driving, because now these days we have electronics and that's typically what all teenagers worry about now and it distracts them from driving.

Source: https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/detail/teenweb/more_btn6/ traffic/traffic

Side: yes - increase it
1 point

One other unlikely thought-of reason to why the driving age should be raised to 18, is because of the health benefits. So, let's say it's really nice outside and you're parents aren't able to drive you to school. You don't have a car, so you're forced to ride a bike, or walk. Studies from the Heartland Times, have found evidence that walking and biking to school reduces the amount of stress put on teens. Also, biking and walking to school burns calories and is an all-around great exercise for anyone. According to research found by Jenny Hope from the daily mail, people who go to school on bike or by foot are 40% less likely to develop diabetes. If kids under 18 have a car, they're obviously going to drive that to school, but raising the driving age will force kids to walk, which is actually benefiting them in several healthy ways.

Side: yes - increase it
1 point

Kids won’t be able to get to work or school events without being able to drive, especially if their parents are busy or at work.

Most kids start working when they turn 16, and if they don’t have a license it would become hard for them to get to work. Parents these days are usually going to be too busy to drive their kids to work each day, until they are old enough to get a license. So if you’re 16 and can’t drive, you would most likely have to wait until 18 to get a job, which could also give you less experience for the future.

Supporting Evidence: Source: “Driving age should not be raised” (docs.google.com)
Side: no - keep it the same
20mromenesko(5) Disputed
0 points

I think that parents will worry about their child when they drive places. The parents might not know where their child went and could think that something happened to them. The parents of the child may think that they got in an accident. Having parents to drive their kids to places would not be a bad thing.

Side: yes - increase it
1 point

I agree with Morgan, because parents are always worried about their children and they should always know where they're going, but then if they do drive to places they will end up texting and driving or calling their parents while they are on their way to school or something and letting them know where they are. Also having parents drive their children to places isn't such a bad idea.

Side: yes - increase it
1 point

I believe that states should not raise the driving age. Because taking away youngsters licenses will result with nothing, but a lot of chauffeuring from parents. Also, kids take the job of driving more seriously than older people do. Changing the driving age is not a matter of safety, it is a matter of Justice.

Side: no - keep it the same
20hgeller(5) Disputed
1 point

I would have to disagree with your statement about parental driving, because all kids under the age of 16 have to be driven by their parents to places. Adding an extra two years onto that, doesn't add that much more chauffeuring from parents. It just adds two extra years of experience for the passenger, so that by the time they are 18, they have more driving knowledge. Shifting the driving age from 16 to 18, would most likely result in more experienced drivers.

Side: yes - increase it
1 point

I believe that the driving age shouldn't change. It wouldn't be fair to younger people who haven't even started driving yet because if your neighbor would rob a bank should you go to jail. No! that would be unfair just like changing the driving age would be to young kids who didn't even start driving yet. It would be like telling a kid they are going to get a puppy but then ripping the adoption sheet in half and saying nevermind.

Supporting Evidence: Both Sides Driving Age Article (docs.google.com)
Side: no - keep it the same
1 point

Do we really want to limit what our young adults want to do? In my opinion, taking away their opportunities to drive is like taking away their passions. If one wants to do swim club, and their parents are unavailable to drive them- they won’t be doing swim club.

Also, according to "Opposed- Driving Age", it’s not fair to the parents to drive their kids around- just because of the actions of a dumb 16 year old, who didn't take his ability to drive seriously.

Side: no - keep it the same
1 point

Because if you were to get a licence at 18, you would get in the same amount of accidents as you would as a 16 year old. If the driving age is raised then 18 year olds will also crash because of inexperience. This means that the death rate of 18 year olds will increase, while the death of 16-year-old death rate; will increase. We are not helping the cause by raising the driving age we are just delaying the time they will die.

Supporting Evidence: Driving Age Should Not Be Raised (docs.google.com)
Side: no - keep it the same
20jleblanc(7) Disputed
1 point

I disagree, because people who are eighteen have a better responsibility than sixteen year olds. Also eighteen year olds would understand to not be distracted by their cellphones and space out while driving down the roads unlike people who are younger than eighteen.

Side: yes - increase it
1 point

According to "Both Sides", this new rule will not improve peoples driving, it just extends their ability to drive for later. It just delays the time of when people drive.

Also, according to "Both Sides", the ability to drive is not based on one's age, it is based on their dedication. If an older person were to be irresponsible with their licence, (like drunk driving,) than a younger, (non-drunk,) driver would be better at driving. So why punish our younger people, when we should really punish our irresponsible drivers?

Side: no - keep it the same
1 point

Not driving until 18 could also affect teenagers’ social lives. Some people don’t see a point in dating until they’re old enough to drive, which could cause them to start dating in college. If they start in college, considering they will have had no experience, it could really affect their grades and how well they’re doing.

Supporting Evidence: Source: ”Driving age should not be raised (docs.google.com)
Side: no - keep it the same
20banderson(1) Disputed
1 point

I do not agree with your statement, Rasing the driving age will not affect teenagers' social lives. If teens wanted to date they would not let driving hold them back, the teens would just find a way to see each other. If dating was a distraction for the kid education, the teen would find ways to make dating not affect their grades. Also, it is the kids choice to date someone or focus on school.

Source: ”Driving age should not be raised"

Side: yes - increase it
1 point

In my opinion, the ability to drive is varied, there may be a younger driver who is not that good at driving, or there could be another one their age who is wonderful at driving. And it is all the same for older people, too. So why are we letting older people determine whether we’re good at driving? There are some people their age- that are bad at driving! So instead of taking away our licenses, determine who the good drivers are- and who the bad ones are.

Also, isn't America “the land of the free”? With my experience, I believe that if we ignored our youngsters rights, we would be ignoring our countries belief. I believe that we should not ignore our beliefs, we should cherish them- and so leaving the driving age alone, or even lowering it even more!

Side: no - keep it the same
1 point

So in summary, I believe that the driving age should not be raised.

Side: no - keep it the same
1 point

I think that the driving age should not be raised because beginning driving when you are 18 does not help any problems that the others may say it does. In fact, studies show that most adults start drinking heavily at age 18 or so. That means more drunk driving which would equal a ton more homicides/suicides.

Supporting Evidence: Should the driving age be raised? (docs.google.com)
Side: no - keep it the same
1 point

Older people could still be irresponsible and drink and drive and get into accidents so it wouldn't really make a difference to the new people who are driving and being responsible, so it wouldn't make a difference in the number of accidents there are.

Side: no - keep it the same
1 point

I disagree, because the drinking age is 21, so then eighteen year olds can't be drinking alcohol, and it would make a difference because eighteen year olds know better than younger ages.

Side: no - keep it the same
1 point

Just because 16 year olds have gotten into driving accidents in the past, doesn't mean we should take away the opportunity for future 16 year olds to drive at that age. No matter what age, accidents are always happening. It isn't fair to take away the experience of driving at 16 for all new drivers, just because some of the other 16 year olds have crashed.

Supporting Evidence: Should the Driving Age be Raised to 18? (docs.google.com)
Side: no - keep it the same
1 point

Statistics show that men of all ages are 77 percent more likely to kill someone while driving than women. If people want to save lives by raising the driving age, then how about saving lives by allowing only women to drive?

Supporting Evidence: Should the driving age be raised to 18? (docs.google.com)
Side: no - keep it the same
1 point

Therefore with all of the reasons that I added saying that driving age should stay the same because it wouldn't effect the number of accidents there would be because they would still be beginners on the road. Older people could be irresponsible too because they could drink and drive or text and drive. So I believe that the driving age should stay the same because of those reasons.

Side: no - keep it the same
1 point

Studies show that risky behavior affects 16-17 year old males just as much as it does males in their early 20's. Should we ban all men from driving until they are 23? No because they started driving when they were 16 and the ones who have lived figured out that driving is not a game.

Supporting Evidence: Driving Age Should Not Be Raised (docs.google.com)
Side: no - keep it the same
1 point

All the change that would happen when you change the driving age is that the death rate would be delayed for around two years. The crash rates and death rates would all stay the same, because the new drivers, no matter the age, would still get into accidents from lack of experience. No matter what, if somebody that’s new at driving doesn’t have experience, they will most likely crash sometime around when they start to drive. Age really doesn't matter too much when a new driver isn't experienced. Because of this, I think that raising the driving age really wouldn't make a difference in how many accidents happen per year.

Side: no - keep it the same
1 point

No, we should not raise the driving age, because raising the driving age is like saying we should never put children in cars with an adult driver, which would then lower the rate of the faculties of children in car accidents. Although that statement seems absurd in addition to illogical, teens today, which are 16, are treated this way, along with deprived of their own rights by others. Instead, of raising the driving age, these people should trust these teens, which in return, these teens will prove themselves by showing they can be responsible for all their actions while driving, as well staying safe on the road.

Side: no - keep it the same
18kberger(6) Clarified
1 point
Side: yes - increase it
mckendra(2) Disputed
1 point

I disagree because kids are more likely to be killed in car crashes with a younger driver of age 16-20 16 year old also have a higher crash rate than any other driving age. Statistics say that 16-17 year old drivers increase in deaths, and it is not like saying we shouldn't put children in cars with adults because first of all, at 16 you are not an adult. You are still a minor no where near an adult at age 18 you are considered an adult. People should trust teens but not in cars because of how they may drive,teens may try showing off when they have a 4 year old in the back seat. I don't think children should be at risk. Of the driver being immature and not only that if a adult on a road has a child in the back seat and a 16 year old driver being immature whose at risk? The adult because the 16 year old is being immature.

Side: yes - increase it
1 point

Also, parents do not have time to drive their 16 year old teens for their, date(s), work, etc., especially when they have to drive their other children around too. Additionally, a statistic from the website http://goo.gl/DbYKc furthermore shows that 60% of two parents with a son or daughter under the age of 18 have a job, which they need to keep up with. This evidence, then provides the fact that parents can’t just drive their 16 year old's everywhere when the teen themselves could just drive, thus concluding the truth that in reality, parents can not keep up this act if people change the driving age.

Side: no - keep it the same
1 point

Furthermore, although counterclaims say that brains are fully developed in teens 18 and over, brains in this teens truly are not fully developed until their early 20's. On this occasion, the University of Rochester Medical Center made a statement in an article that states that The rational part of a teen's brain isn't fully developed and won't be until he or she is 25 years old or so, thus, this evidence displays that this counterclaim is inaccurate.

So the evidence of my agreement shows that even if officials do raise the driving age that it will do nothing to the facility rate, thus could even raise it in the end.

Side: no - keep it the same
0 points

Hiring the driving age wouldn't lower the number of accidents on the road because the newer drivers would still be new on the road and be beginners so they could easily still get into an accident.

Supporting Evidence: Driving Age Should Not Be Raised Article (docs.google.com)
Side: no - keep it the same
20banderson(1) Disputed
1 point

I disagree, raising the driving age will lower the number of accidents because they will get more time to practise and making them more comfortable driving before they get the huge responsibility of having a driver licence.

Side: yes - increase it
18kberger(6) Clarified
1 point

My other sources: Editorial: Raising minimum driving age is modest statement

By: By JOHN M. CRISP, Scripps Howard News Service, as well as http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?ContentTypeID=1&ContentID;=3051

Side: yes - increase it
18kberger(6) Clarified
1 point

My other sources: Editorial: Raising minimum driving age is modest statement

By: By JOHN M. CRISP, Scrips Howard News Service, as well as http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?ContentTypeID=1&ContentID;=3051

(I put this on the wrong side, please take this for the other side, clarifying my other last paragraph).

Side: yes - increase it