Heather Seville
Professor Elam
English 111
Argumentative Essay
Licensing at Eighteen
In High School, I lost two of my best friends to car accidents. Adam, 17, was speeding around a curve and hydroplaned into a telephone pole. Matthew, 18, was speeding down an old country road; he was ejected through the windshield. If there would be any chance of the age of receiving a license to be raised to eighteen, I would support it a hundred percent! According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), teenage driver accidents are the leading cause of teenage fatalities. Age ranges between boys and girls of 15 and 19 years. (Johnson) Despite the popular thought, boys are no more likely to crash or become involved in car accidents than girls. “Reckless fast driving, unsafe passing techniques, and driving under the influence of alcohol are the most common causes of teenage car accidents.” (Morris)
I believe the age at which any teenager, not just boys, can earn their license should be raised to eighteen. I don’t believe it is just the boys that are reckless drivers, girls are pretty careless too. Boys may have a more aggressive attitude at driving, but a lot of girls are oblivious as to what is going on while driving. Many girls are too busy talking on their cell phones, texting, or even putting on make-up. Boys, on the other hand, are arrogant drivers; they speed, play around, and assume they are “invincible”. Car accidents involving teenagers have nothing to with their gender, but just about everything to do with their attitude.
A teen might argue that waiting until eighteen years of age will put limitations on after school and weekend activities. Waiting until the age of eighteen to obtain a license does not limit you to what you can and cannot do. Many students participate in extra curricular activities, and they may ride with a teammate or have a parent pick them up. If one is enrolled in college before eighteen, the college might provide...