Increase the Driving Age to 18

Young people in New Zealand are ignoring road safety messages, and the only solution to making our roads safer and removing the risk that these youngsters pose is to remove them from the road altogether, by increasing the current driving age to eighteen. Not only are these young drivers physically and emotionally ill equipped to handle New Zealand’s roads, but in one stroke we could dramatically bring down the road toll and the associated costs that accompany all road accidents.

I find it strange that in New Zealand we do not allow people to vote in elections (thus determining the fate of our country) or purchase alcohol until they are 18, yet we deem it fit to put young teens behind the wheel of a car and send them out onto the open road where they can cause extensive damage to themselves and others.

Firstly, I have medical evidence to support my claim that under-18’s should not be on our roads. Research carried out in America shows that younger drivers are mentally less developed to handle the rigours of driving. Scientists and doctors at the National Institutes of Health in America have found that, “a 16-year-old’s brain is generally far less developed than those of teens just a little older” (Davis, Robert).

The National Institutes of Health’s report into brain research also concludes that a, “crucial part of the teen’s brain – the area that peers ahead and considers consequences – remains underdeveloped” (Davis, Robert). This means that, “careless attitudes and rash emotions often drive teen decisions,” and this remains so when they are behind the wheel of a car. (Davis, Robert)

Secondly, I found that under-18s are simply not emotionally mature enough to handle the responsibilities of driving. New Zealanders often associate employment with responsibility, but even those under the age of 18 whose employment requires them to be responsible drivers are not immune to crashes.

In America, where the driving age is 16 in many states, “pizza deliverers have a crash rate four times the national average” (Ludwig, Timothy D, PhD et al.). This is due to the fact that “in the case of pizza delivery, these jobs are often held by individuals … between the ages of 15 and 24” (Ludwig, Timothy D, PhD et al.). Teenagers are also more vulnerable to distractions when driving compared with their adult counterparts.

For example, in another study on teenage driving carried out in America it was found that “one passenger almost doubled the fatal crash risk compared with driving alone. With two or more passengers the fatal crash risk was five times as high as driving alone” (Williams, Allan F.).

Thirdly, by taking away the right to drive from those under the age of 18, New Zealand can automatically bring down the number of minor, major and fatal crashes on its roads and reduce the injuries and fatalities associated with them. New Zealand’s Ministry of Transport has reports which show that “15 to 19 year old drivers make up 7 percent of the licensed population yet… accounted for 14 percent of drivers involved in minor and serious crashes, and 12 percent of those involved in fatal crashes” (Young Drivers).

In fact, in 2004 eighty-one 15-19 year olds died on our roads (13.7% of total fatalities) and 2314 were injured (14.4%). One statistic that I find hard to ignore is that if the legal age of driving from 1984 onwards had been 19 (one year older than the proposed limit in my essay), 2397 fewer lives would have been lost on New Zealand roads (Crash Facts: Young Drivers (2005)).

Lastly, I found that in 1991 the economic cost of car crashes in New Zealand ran up to 4.10% of our Gross National Product or around $2.44 billion U.S. dollars. In 2004, drivers under 18 contributed towards the social cost of crashes in New Zealand, which for 15-24 year olds cost “about $1.06 billion, which is more than one quarter of the social cost associated with all injury crashes” (Crash Facts: Young Drivers (2005)).

However the social cost could be even much higher. By law New Zealanders have to report all car crashes to the police. Yet in a study published in 1998 linking admissions to hospital due to injuries suffered in car crashes and reported incidents of car crashes by the police, “lower linkage rates occurred in those aged 19 or less”(Alsop, Jonathan et. al).

In fact out of 1035 15-19 year olds admitted to hospital due to car crash injuries only 61% reported their car crash to the police. Therefore 39% of car crashes involving 15-19 year olds went unreported (Alsop, Jonathan et. al). If they had been reported, which the law requires them to do; it would put the social cost of crashes in New Zealand at around $1.47 billion instead of the official estimate of $1.06 billion.

I believe that my arguments make it blatantly obvious to all that increasing the driving age in New Zealand, and indeed around the world, would be a good thing. Those under 18 lack the physical development and emotional maturity required to drive on the open road, and I feel that we could all sleep much easier at night knowing that our road toll would be much lower than its current levels, and that the other costs associated with road crashes would not be as high.