Teen Driving

Persuasive Paper Part 2: A Problem Exists

By

Nekitta Sutton

Professor McKinley

English 215 February 24, 2013

The two words that should capture our immediate attention is teen drivers. Teen driving is a problem that should impact parents, healthcare providers, insurance professionals and other public officials. Teenagers do not always practice the appropriate safety precautions. They often act irresponsible and abuse their driving privileges.

Even though teens feel getting a drivers license reaches a milestone for independence, I feel teens are not responsible enough to drive a motor vehicle. 6% of all licensed drivers in the age group of 15 to 20 year old accounted for 12% of all drivers in fatal crashes. So many of our teens lose their lives to traffic accidents. They never get a chance to live a full life. I feel it is our responsibility as public officials to emphasize the importance of safety to our youth.

Teens should pay attention to the basic driving rules, distractions and their passengers. Teens have the lowest seat belt rates compared to any other age group. They should understand the importance of using their safety belt. Many lives could be saved. Several injuries could also be avoided if the basic driving rules were followed. Many fatal crashes occur when there are more than one passenger in the car. The more passengers one have, the greater their risk for an accident. Other issues that inhibit safety among our teens are speeding, alcohol and night driving. One-third of teen traffic deaths, over 2,000 per yer, are alcohol related. There are adults and children who are killed daily by teen drivers. No one, including adults, should consume alcohol while operating any kind of heavy equipment. 1 in 3 teens have stated that they have been passengers in a car with a drunk drivers. The most common way teenagers lose their lives are by car crashes alone. Each year we lose 5,5000 to 6,000 teens to a car crash....