Explain Why Should Teen Drivers Have Strict Regulations

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Why Teen Drivers Should Have Stricter Regulations “Drivers between the ages of sixteen and twenty-one are three times more likely to be in a fatal accident than Drivers over the age of twenty-one (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration).” For this fact and a multitude of other reasons, teen drivers should have stricter regulations. Currently, there is a graduated driver licensing system (GDL) in all fifty states and the District of Columbia. The graduated licensing system has three stages or phases: the instruction permit phase when teens have supervised driving at all times and a driving test; a provisional or intermediate phase when nighttime driving is not allowed and passengers are limited; and a full privilege phase when teens …show more content…
Although teens do have time to drive with a permit, the time with a permit should be extended because it is proven to not be effective in the crash rates of teen drivers. Teens also have a short attention span and can be easily distracted, causing accidents. This is partially because “the brain finishes developing and maturing in the mid-to-late 20s (National Institute of Mental Health).” This means that a teen’s brains are not even fully developed at the time they are allowed to drive, which can affect their decision-making and judgment. Furthermore, adults think with the prefrontal cortex, or the rational part of the brain. Whereas, teens think with the amygdala, the emotional part of the brain, hence the emotional and irrational decision-making of teens behind the wheel. These decisions and bad judgment of teens can cause traffic crashes and that is why they should have stricter driving regulations. Some parents and teens may argue that teen driving gives them the necessary freedom. Although driving does give teens freedom, it is not always used in the best way. For example, teens should have the freedom to drive to school and sports, but sometimes they negatively use their