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View Full Version : Should the driving age be raised above 17?



Slowpoke
17-01-2010, 10:05 PM
This topic is brought up all the time. Many news sites have reported (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1573777/Driving-test-age-will-be-raised-to-18.html) over the past few years that it will be going up, though it's never actually happened and no official, clear statement on the matter has been made. Some states in America permit teenagers to drive at ages as low as 14 whilst some countries require you to be 21. So what do you think? Is it fine how it is, should be lowered or should it be raised?

Discuss!

Ardemax
18-01-2010, 06:46 AM
To start off the debate; in my opinion it doesn't matter when a young person starts driving, the first lesson and their first few years as a driver will be pretty dreadful, as in they're still starting out.

Whether they're 17 or 21, maybe even 25 the affects will still be the same so imho there's no reason or worry to change the limit yet.

Alkaz
18-01-2010, 08:23 AM
I agree ^, just because you've passed your test doesnt mean your a fully fleged professional driver. They normally do say that and that passing your test means youve learned all the basics of driving so you can carry on learning and become more skilled as a driver. Good drivers dont have instructors for 3 or 4 years. So I dont think their really is a need for the law to be changed, and when you think 17 is a good age as it allows people around a year to learn before they go into the big bad world and it will normally be easier for them to have a car.

Black_Apalachi
18-01-2010, 01:16 PM
No I most certainly do not. I waited all my life for the day I turned 18 so I could drive (realised when I got older that it's 17 but yeah :P).

I don't see what the point would be in raising the age, it won't make a difference to your experience. The only thing you can say is that you'll learn better the younger you are and I like to think even in the short time I've been driving, I've definitely gained a lot of experience by learning from mistakes.

Older people would probably be worse at getting going in fact. My mum is about 50 and she never learned to drive. I can't imagine her driving, even for a second and if she suddenly decided to pursue the idea, it would make me so nervous and uncomfortable and I'd probably even try and dissuade her from it tbh.

GommeInc
18-01-2010, 02:01 PM
To start off the debate; in my opinion it doesn't matter when a young person starts driving, the first lesson and their first few years as a driver will be pretty dreadful, as in they're still starting out.

Whether they're 17 or 21, maybe even 25 the affects will still be the same so imho there's no reason or worry to change the limit yet.
Agreed :) The only reason for putting it up reported by alot of people is to drive down on young/new drivers having accidents. It's kinda obvious any new driver is likely to have accidents, just look at any other activity where a first time might not necessarily be perfect, and alot of the times it's just being in the wrong place at the wrong time :/ 17 is the right time to learn, you don't have anything else that takes up that much time in that part of your life - college is usually filled with loads of free time. Quite alot of new drivers I know of are very cautious, which is good. The only ones you have to worry about are the minority of imbesiles who find it fun to race other people and generally be a nuisance.

Yoshimitsui
18-01-2010, 02:24 PM
I am in separate minds, as i was desperate to get driving and couldn't imagine still wiating now if the age limit was higher. Although i think in the long run it could reduce problems but then it may cause even more illegal driving. But i think you should have some form of 'aptitude test' in some cases.

Nixt
18-01-2010, 02:29 PM
I am in separate minds, as i was desperate to get driving and couldn't imagine still wiating now if the age limit was higher. Although i think in the long run it could reduce problems but then it may cause even more illegal driving. But i think you should have some form of 'aptitude test' in some cases.

Isn't that essentially what the theory test is? It requires a certain amount of aptitude (not much, I know...).

Slowpoke
18-01-2010, 03:36 PM
Isn't that essentially what the theory test is? It requires a certain amount of aptitude (not much, I know...).

A lot of the theory test is general common sense which is a good thing in my opinion. I have friends who have attempted it six or seven times and are still failing it, mainly because they treat like they would treat a school test and don't revise for it. It's those people that are wasting £38 everytime they fail though.

Tash.
18-01-2010, 06:27 PM
I don't think it should. Like others have said, essentially no matter when you learn to drive (within reason obviously) you aren't likely to be excellent at it. With that in mind, I don't think it matters whether you are 17, 18, 25, 30 or even 40 because you still start off with similar skill sets. The only reason you could argue for raising it is that with age supposedly comes maturity (although that is debatable with some people). But really, raising the age limit from 17 - 18/19 is not going to make much of a difference in maturity in a lot of people so it might aswell just stay as it is. However, I do think that there should be a minimum amount of driving lesson a person should have before they can take their practical test. That should improve a persons abilities and make them less dangerous.

Yoshimitsui
18-01-2010, 07:22 PM
Isn't that essentially what the theory test is? It requires a certain amount of aptitude (not much, I know...).

Yes, but as stated above the theory was pretty much common sense for me whereas the hazard perception was like a game, master it and you have passed it.
What i speak of is something that could be referred to as an 'idiot' test, to basically test those who have inhibitions to go and drive like they own the road and have no care in the world.

Black_Apalachi
18-01-2010, 07:51 PM
A lot of the theory test is general common sense which is a good thing in my opinion. I have friends who have attempted it six or seven times and are still failing it, mainly because they treat like they would treat a school test and don't revise for it. It's those people that are wasting £38 everytime they fail though.

I like that it is general common sense too, and I didn't really revise for it either lol.

J0SH
18-01-2010, 08:00 PM
No it should not, at 16 you can practically have sex, live on your own and you're old enough to leave education. Which makes you a responsable adult. So I guess 17 is the perfect age to drive.

Neil
18-01-2010, 08:12 PM
No it should not, at 16 you can practically have sex, live on your own and you're old enough to leave education. Which makes you a responsable adult. So I guess 17 is the perfect age to drive.

Being able to have sex, leave school and live alone does not make you responsible at all, I wouldn't let half the people under 17 I know drive cars, you can't kill someone by having sex, leaving school or living alone, personally I'd be happy to see the driving age go up to 21.

Accipiter
18-01-2010, 08:29 PM
i think its perfectly on the dot, majority of college courses are 2 years, college is quite easy access were as uni or work isn't and that's what you'd be going into after, so having a car at that age is definitely vital, I'd say its perfect were it is.

Geraint
18-01-2010, 08:30 PM
Yes, but only once I start driving.

J0SH
18-01-2010, 09:17 PM
Being able to have sex, leave school and live alone does not make you responsible at all, I wouldn't let half the people under 17 I know drive cars, you can't kill someone by having sex, leaving school or living alone, personally I'd be happy to see the driving age go up to 21.

All them things make you responsable, and who's to say just because you're 17 you're going to run somebody over? If they're that stupid they won't pass their test..

GommeInc
18-01-2010, 10:30 PM
Being able to have sex, leave school and live alone does not make you responsible at all, I wouldn't let half the people under 17 I know drive cars, you can't kill someone by having sex, leaving school or living alone, personally I'd be happy to see the driving age go up to 21.
That's just attacking the driving majority who are good drivers at that age. The idiots you're talking about will get what's coming to them when they crash anyway :/ At 17, you'll mostly be learning to drive until near 18 anyway.

Arron
18-01-2010, 10:34 PM
it will happen, right before i start my lessons. (in 3 months) :(

Stryderman
18-01-2010, 10:35 PM
Yes and no, Kids who just get a car at 17 and pass race around like idiots which is why they want to increase the age.

Slowpoke
18-01-2010, 10:39 PM
Being able to have sex, leave school and live alone does not make you responsible at all, I wouldn't let half the people under 17 I know drive cars, you can't kill someone by having sex, leaving school or living alone, personally I'd be happy to see the driving age go up to 21.

I'm not that responsible but I'd never drive in a way that could cause harm to someone else. I've only done 16 hours of lessons (12 more to go) and I've been put in to take my test on February 17th so I must be doing something right. Even the most responsible people in the world can inadvertently cause a huge accident.


Yes and no, Kids who just get a car at 17 and pass race around like idiots which is why they want to increase the age.

Some do. But there are a lot of people in their twenties that do the same thing when they pass. It's a horrible stereotypical view.

Stryderman
18-01-2010, 10:42 PM
Yeh but most the people in their twnetys are idiotic chavs trying to impress their mates in their modded up cars, Another stereotype idc its just how it is by me :rolleyes:

FlyingJesus
18-01-2010, 11:28 PM
Older people would probably be worse at getting going in fact. My mum is about 50 and she never learned to drive. I can't imagine her driving, even for a second and if she suddenly decided to pursue the idea, it would make me so nervous and uncomfortable and I'd probably even try and dissuade her from it tbh.

This is pretty much the most important point in the thread and no-one else seems to have picked up on it (apologies if you have and I missed it). At a later age people are less able to learn in the same way that we can in the younger stages of our lives, especially with regards to learning actual skills rather than facts.


Yeh but most the people in their twnetys are idiotic chavs trying to impress their mates in their modded up cars, Another stereotype idc its just how it is by me :rolleyes:

I don't imagine that's "most" any more than "most" new drivers are that way, it's simply the fact that those ones are the drivers that you notice.

Neil
19-01-2010, 02:21 PM
All them things make you responsable, and who's to say just because you're 17 you're going to run somebody over? If they're that stupid they won't pass their test..

I think you're missing something, none of them things MAKE you responsible, people are or they're not responsible, if you are responsible then those things are the things that make you look responsible, if you're not then those are things that show that you are not.

Everyday I go out I see some chav in his golf or focus shooting down the road like an idiot, that is the sort of person that all those things would show they're not responsible and means they should no have the ability to drive, I'm not saying just because you're 17 you'll hit someone but someone that has actually realised how stupid racing about like an idiot is they'll be more cautious.

Personally I know for a fact that anyone under 21 without a license would argue against this purely because they want to be able to drive as soon as possible and I also know that a good percentage are "boy-racers" and will actually be a danger on the a road, I'm 19 and I drive and I still believe minimum age should be 21.

ChickenFaces
30-01-2010, 09:49 PM
I think that the driving age should be like it was.

You get your permit at 16, your liscense at 17. The end. We don't need all of this crud about Provisional liscenses, if teenagers don't know how to drive, DON'T LET THEM ONTO THE ROAD. That's how you can prevent accidents. New Jersey wants to indroduce Hailey's Law where you have to put a sticker on your car if you are under 21. Alright, but what if it's not just your car? What if your parents use it? What if you drive other cars? The law has so many holes in it, so it is most definitely going to fail.

Black_Apalachi
31-01-2010, 05:16 AM
I think that the driving age should be like it was.

You get your permit at 16, your liscense at 17. The end. We don't need all of this crud about Provisional liscenses, if teenagers don't know how to drive, DON'T LET THEM ONTO THE ROAD. That's how you can prevent accidents. New Jersey wants to indroduce Hailey's Law where you have to put a sticker on your car if you are under 21. Alright, but what if it's not just your car? What if your parents use it? What if you drive other cars? The law has so many holes in it, so it is most definitely going to fail.

More importantly, what the hell is a sticker supposed to do? Lmao.

iAdam
31-01-2010, 10:10 AM
It really shouldn't be raised at all, it's fine where it is.

This stereotypical view of 'All 17 year olds are boy racers and shouldn't be driving' is horrible. When I hit 17 I'll of done about 200 hours of tracking racing on bikes and cars. I'm not saying this will make me a better driver, but I know normal roads are no place for speed. Besides, there are thousands of 17 year olds who arn't confident enough to go at speed. The amount of times I've seen accidents outside my house that have been due to people just not looking or being over confident exceed the amount of times that I've seen accidents cause by young drivers.

So in short, there is no need to raise the limit as long as proper tuition is sorted and obviously limits are known.

Thilm
31-01-2010, 05:59 PM
No, i dont think that the driving age should go above 17 because otherwise youngsters will always be breaking the law or just ride Mopeds or motorbikes.

Soy
01-02-2010, 11:55 AM
NO BECUS I WANT TO DRIVE!





Edited by Bolt660 (Forum Super Moderator): Please don't post pointlessly/unconstructively.

FlyingJesus
01-02-2010, 03:40 PM
You get your permit at 16, your liscense at 17. The end. We don't need all of this crud about Provisional liscenses

So what's the difference between a permit and a provisional? The ages you've stated are exactly what the law is anyway, just with a different word.


if teenagers don't know how to drive, DON'T LET THEM ONTO THE ROAD.

That's kinda the point of having a licence and tests.


No, i dont think that the driving age should go above 17 because otherwise youngsters will always be breaking the law or just ride Mopeds or motorbikes.

I have never had the compulsion to drive a moped at any age, and I'm pretty sure I'd be able to live without breaking the law if I didn't have a car.

Technologic
01-02-2010, 04:39 PM
No point. **** drivers at 17 will be **** drivers at 18

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