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Plan to raise legal driving age deserves consideration

Wednesday, September 10, 2008 12:40 AM PDT

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Sept. 10 Daily News editorial

Just a few weeks after a group of college presidents attempted to start a national conversation on lowering the legal drinking age from 21 to 18, a research group funded by the auto insurance industry is asking states to consider raising the age for getting a driver’s license to 17 or 18. Parents of teenagers may have a hard time carrying on both of these conversations at once. A driver’s license and a brew at 18?

We suspect the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s call for raising the driving age is going to find a more receptive audience than the college presidents’ riskier proposal. It should. The institute notes that car crashes are the leading cause of death among teenagers, claiming more than 5,000 teens each year. According to the National Highway Safety Administration, the rate of car crashes per mile driven for 16-year-old drivers is nearly 10 times the rate for drivers ages 30 to 59.

Such statistics led Washington lawmakers to implement graduated licensing in 2001, effectively delaying the age for driving without adult supervision or other restrictions. The state’s Intermediate Driver’s License program requires 16- and 17-year-olds to drive with a learner’s permit for six months, pass a driver’s education course, complete 50 hours of supervised driving, including 10 hours at night, and have a clean driving record and no drug violations.

Additionally, in the first six months of driving, teens cannot carry passengers under the age of 20, except for family members. Until the age of 18, they cannot carry more than three non-family, teenage passengers. This restriction targets a major cause of teen traffic fatalities. One teenage passenger with a teen driver doubles the risk of a fatal crash, according to a 2007 study by the Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia and State Farm Insurance Co. The risk is five times higher with two or more teen passengers.

There is some evidence that Washington’s graduated licensing program is partly responsible for a drop in teen crash rates over the past few years. But newly licensed teens continue to be at high risk. While teenagers make up 7 percent of drivers statewide, the Washington State Traffic Commission reports that they account for 14 percent of traffic fatalities and 20 percent of collisions.

Officials at the insurance institute believe increasing the driving age would complement graduated licensing programs such as Washington’s. Adrian Lund, president of the institute, told The Associated Press that, “The bottom line is that when we look at the research, raising the driving age saves lives.” Certainly, that’s reason enough to give the group’s proposal a serious look.

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classic_mustang_chick wrote on Sep 10, 2008 9:30 AM:

" Anytime you take vehicles off the road it saves lives. If they change the rules for the young kids...they'll change the rules for the elderly too.

Remember it saves lives. "

TDN Bad Boy wrote on Sep 10, 2008 9:32 AM:

" I tend to agree with this proposal. It does deserve some more consideration. Along that line of thinking, I have to question the priorities we use to determine what should get an age limit and what should not. You have to a certain age in this country to vote, drive, drink, and serve in the military. And I think these are good for age requirements. But how can we watch teens ruin their lives with early pregnancies without putting some kind of requirement on it? Isn't the creation of a life as important as the other the others? I don't think punishment is called for but there should be some requirement that would help the baby and the young teens adjust to a completely different set of responsibilities. "

obit woman wrote on Sep 10, 2008 11:11 AM:

" I completely agree with raising the driving age. Driving is a huge responsibilty for a 16 year-old. I also believe the elderly should be tested more often to remain on the road. Today's traffic is more hazardous than it was just 10 years ago. I'm all for keeping our beloved younger generation and elderly safe. "

skibum wrote on Sep 10, 2008 12:31 PM:

" Along the lines of driving age, drinking age, and how old a person is when they are truly responsible....do we tell them they are too young to drive until they are 18....oh and by the way.....you are now old and responsible enough to go to war and fight for your country. Give me a break! If an American can go to war and risk their life in support of the flag when they are 18, then they should be able to live like any other American regardless of age. They should be able to have a cold beer if they want one. And for heavens sake, driving at 16? I see kids racing carts at 5 that could drive circles around most adults. Its about good training and consenquences for poor judgement. Not about the majic number of 16, 17 or 18 even. "

shmerica wrote on Sep 10, 2008 1:18 PM:

" skibum I agree with you! I got my license shortly after thegraduated licensing program started, and while it might work for some people, I along with all of my friends never followed the rules of the program. If parents would teach there kids to drive and pay attention to driving like they are suppose to the accidents would decrease too. Raising the age of getting a license is not going to to prevent car wrecks, experience with driving will. As for the drinking age I've always personally thought if your old enough to die for your country you should be old enough to drink. "

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