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Why is the driving age 16?
My daughter is turning 16, and lots of her friends have already started to drive. Just last week, we heard that one of her classmates got into a car accident. It seems like driving is something that’s too dangerous for someone as young as 16 years old. Why is the legal driving age only 16 and not higher?
Cameron Thiessen · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
In most states, you have to be either 16 or 17 to get your full license. It should come as no surprise that drivers in their earliest years will be the most likely to make mistakes. Here are a few reasons why the driving age is 16 in many states:
- By the age of 16, getting your license can be a huge part of growing up and learning independence as you head into adulthood.
- The earlier teens are comfortable on the road, the earlier they can develop constructive driving experiences that they’ll carry forward for the rest of their lives.
- In the same way that a driver’s license may offer a teen their first feeling of the freedom of adult independence, driving can also be a great way to learn responsibility.
- If kids are given time to gain driving experience while still living at home, they’ll be able to learn in a safe and comfortable environment and be well-prepared for the days when they move out on their own and have cars of their own.
So while it’s fair to think that the responsibility of driving should wait until adulthood, as is done in other parts of the world, there are certainly some good reasons why it may not be such a bad idea for teens to be able to drive before they move all the way into adulthood.
Insurance companies definitely see teenagers as risky drivers, and this will likely result in a sharp increase in your premium when you add your teenager to your
car insurance
plan. Make sure you’re getting the best deal by shopping for insurance using the Jerry
app. Jerry will compare personalized quotes from over 50 insurance companies to find you the best rate on the coverage you need. The average user saves $887 per year on car insurance.
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- 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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