Teen Driving

For years, American teens have had the ritual of get their license as early as they could but within the last few decades, it has changed. As a teen driver, I know how dangerous driving can be. After reading the article "Fewer Youths Jump behind the Wheel at 16", I found that there is a lot of information teens should know about driving. The article states some eye opening statistics. For example in the last decade, the proportion of 16-year-olds nationwide who hold driver’s licenses has plummeted from nearly half to less than one-third according to the Federal Highway Administration. The national rate of licensed 16-year-olds dropped to 29.8 percent in 2006 from 43.8 percent in 1998. The article goes on and talks about fatal accidents that teens could get themselves into. Many teens don't think about the dangers they could get themselves into when they drive. It is a big responsibility to be driving behind the wheel. Many teens (including myself) can't wait till they finally have the freedom of going anywhere they want. I believe the cost of getting your license at a young age is very costly. From driver education classes, gas prices, and car insurance costs are all major contributors to less teens getting their license at 16. Years ago, teens wouldn't sit in front of a computer or TV for hours on end. They were more motivated to get their license as early as they could. I believe teens have undergone a major change and becoming plain lazy. Some parents aren’t helping matters either. According to the article one girl’s mother said that she would be “happy to shuttle her daughter to swimming and cheerleader practice." Parents may want to protect their kids but they also might be instilling the wrong ideas into their teen’s minds that they can always fall back on their parents for everything.