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Why is 18 the legal age to start driving?
Why is 18 the legal age to start driving? When I started driving I was 15 years old. Back then, I was able to help my parents out and bring my younger siblings to activities and school functions when they weren't able to. It would certainly be helpful if my son could do the same. Why are they making kids wait longer now?
Shannon Martin · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
“The appropriate age for a fully licensed driver has been up for debate for years and now many states are starting to air on the side of caution. Some states have pushed the age for a fully unrestricted license to 18 and others to 17.
Only a handful of states allow 16-year olds to be
fully licensed
and even fewer have the option for a farmer’s license or hardship license for minors. The primary thinking behind these changes is that children under the age of 18 don’t have as much maturity and impulse control that is needed to be a responsible driver.
Statistically, the fatality rate of drivers ages 18-19 is about half of that it is for drivers 16-14.
Some arguments for pushing the age limits to 18 are the exact same for why many parents wish it was still 16: to help out with the hectic life of shuttling children back and forth.
Younger siblings can be loud and distracting. They don’t always listen to the older children as well as they do their parents and this leads to a very stressful situation for a new driver. It is easy to forget that a car is a dangerous machine and inexperienced operators should not be in charge of little lives in this manner.
In states where the driving age has been raised to 18, most young drivers are getting about two years of driving experience before they hit the road solo.
Insuring young drivers can be expensive. To help you find the best rate for your teen, try using the free
Jerry
app. Jerry collects auto and home quotes from over 50 companies and brings the lowest available rates right to your phone.”View full answer
- Gregory R.
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Jerry partners with more than 50 insurance companies, but our content is independently researched, written, and fact-checked by our team of editors and agents. We aren’t paid for reviews or other content.
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