Create Stricter National Driving Standards

The lack of a consistent driving age as well as required driver’s education in our country is only aiding in the inexperience and unsafe driving habits of today’s youth.

Car accidents are the leading cause of death among 15-20 year olds. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, each day approximately 22 15-20 year olds are killed due to an automotive accident.

Last year, 3,406 drivers between the ages of 16-20 were fatally injured in a car accident. Whether it has affected you personally or not, it could be affecting you financially. The Center for Disease Control states that people aged 15 to 24, who represent only 14% of the U.S. population, account for 30% of the total costs of motor vehicle injuries among males and 28% among females.

In an effort to lower the number of accidents involving young drivers in our country, a national standard based on fixed driving age and training requirements should be established before one can obtain their license.

A national driving age would allow for a more structured and mandated driving system in the United States. Across the nation, teens should be allowed to apply for their learner’s permit when they are 17 years of age, and are eligible after a six month period for their official license.

While there is no set age when someone is ready to drive, a standardized age would help to provide more time for younger drivers to visually learn from their parents and their driving habits before actually getting behind the wheel themselves.

Training requirements of driver’s education must be mandatory before obtaining a license. There should be a national requirement of 20 hours of classroom education and 10 hours of behind the wheel training. Classroom training helps new drivers to become confident with the basics of driving. Practice and training behind the wheel allows teens to put their classroom knowledge to the test while with a certified instructor.

In addition to these standards, strict rules should be established in order to keep young drivers focused on driving safely. After obtaining a license, drivers under the age of 18 should not be allowed to drive past 11:00pm, similar to the graduated licenses currently found in states such as Pennsylvania and Ohio.

Until a driver reaches 18 years of age, they should not be allowed to carry more than one passenger under the age of 18 in the car with them. If a young driver were to be pulled over or found guilty of a driving infraction and found to have been texting or using a cell phone behind the wheel, their license would be revoked for a minimum of 90 days.
Currently, traffic and driving laws are regulated by each state.

These national driving standards would also be administered by state-wide Department of Transportations. In order to get each state to comply, the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration would withhold money for federal highway funding unless the requirements of this proposition were met.