Driving age - Your Views

[superfly-dan]

Not only is changing the driving age to 21 pretty unfair, it's also a pretty stupid idea too.

Young drivers pay some of the highest insurance premiums... and if the government get rid of the young drivers, then they are going to miss out on the cash generated from young driver's insurance!

I don't think it will change. I reckon it is almost certain that they will change the age to 18, I mean 18 year old drivers are more mature than 17 year old ones and therefore will drive more safely and they still pay hefty insurance costs, but putting the driving age up to 21 would be a step in the wrong direction. Doesn't the price of insurance go way down when you hit 21?

[Markness.]

As more and more cars come on our roads, obviously the government are going to try and tackle it, but slowing it down by a year won't help :s

I say leave the age at 17 and perhaps further educate drivers with licences on all these dangers, from past experience (by that i mean crossing roads etc), older drivers are the worst.

[Loqo]

I wish it would be lowered to 16, America allow it. I'd hate 18 never mind 21. Driving is what am looking forward to and I only have 2 more years now, I dont want it increased.

[Jordy]

I think it should be 14. (seriously) because I am so good at driving. (I think I am anyway)

Can you justify a reason to drive at the age of 14 though? I'm 14 and I can't think of many times I'd need to drive, not only would it be incredibly dangerous but it'd be unnecessary most the time.

[alexxxxx]

Changing it to 21 means loads of other driving laws need changing, like renting vehicles etc. 17 is reasonable, learner drivers are in the middle of college study making it easier for them to learn, if it was 18 they'll have to learn at university and if that's not the case, then the difference between maturity ages doesn't really differ. Is this because of under 21 accidents? I think that number was slowly falling the last time I heard :S

yeah it is. 17,18,19 year olds arent the highest accidents - it's early 20s.

[Zuar]

Hmm, as far as I know my cousin who drives really quick & with music blasting has never had a crash, yet my mum who's much older has. As well as OLDER people I know. I also hate the fact when you get really old drivers who go at 10mph it's like hmm.

So yeah, it's stupid if they hire it.

[Moh]

Changing the driving age to 18 or 21 will still mean there will be young drivers.
People who are 18 or 21 will be classed as young, as they won't have as much experience.

What would the difference be? Not every starts to drive at 17, not every one has the money.

[Orangeesh]

Either way theres gunna be accidents as most 17 year olds are first time drivers...
Itll just be the same at 18.

[alexxxxx]

Either way theres gunna be accidents as most 17 year olds are first time drivers...
Itll just be the same at 18.

yeah exactly.

[RedStratocas]

Frankly, unless they're killing someone else by driving stupidly, then who cares if they kill themselves by crashing into a tree or something? That's their fault.

unfortunately a lot of the former happens.

as a lot of people have been saying, its only going up because a lot of teenagers have failed to prove themselves worthy of having a license. it sucks for the people who are good drivers which is most of them, but the statistics don't lie. in this year alone in my state we've had a few dozen kids get in drunk driving accidents. so yeah, they're dumb, but there is no way to ween out the kids who they think are going to drunk drive or kill someone. it's unpredictable. so the best way to stop all the accidents is to either make the process of getting your license way more strict, or raising the age.

that being said, i got my license at 16, and i haven't been in an accident since.