Should the age limit of drivers be increased?

Driving on roads requires utmost concentration and at times even a moment’s distraction could be extremely dangerous leading to fatal accidents. The legal driving age in most countries across the globe is 18 years with only a few exceptions, where the driving age is 16 or even lower, such as 15 in New Zealand and 14 in Ethiopia. As far as Australia is concerned, the minimum driving age varies from 16 to 18 years in different states. There have been some studies where it has been shown that younger people are involved in more road accidents than their elder counterparts, leading to a hot debate in many circles whether the age limit for driving should be increased to bring down the number of fatal accidents taking place on roads in Australia.

There is indeed a merit in the argument that young drivers drive too fast, and are physically and emotionally ill-equipped to maintain the level of alertness required for driving at such high speeds. They pose a threat to not only their own lives but also to others driving on roads. There is a growing feeling among many people that they should be removed from roads altogether to help make the roads safer for driving and reducing serious road fatalities.

I feel it is not just the age that results in higher accident rates on Australian roads. A NSW study shows that young people are involved in much more fatal crashes during late night and early morning, especially on weekends. This may be true, but this also points to the real cause of the higher accident rates among teenagers. Younger people returning from party under the influence of alcohol could be the real culprit. So, what is required is an increased drive to discourage people under the influence of alcohol. The chances of accidents indeed increase manifold if the person driving has consumed alcohol, whether young or old. It is only that elder people are likely to be more careful about the quantity they should consume if they have to drive back home compared to teenagers. What is more important, therefore, for bringing down the accident rates is to enforce increased drive for random breath testing on roads than bring down the driving age. If people are made to understand that driving under influence is most likely to be caught by police, then it can act as a deterrent as a long-term measure.