Do you remember driving for the first time? For some of us it happened when we started drivers training, and for others when we were younger. Either way I am sure we all have stories about the good and bad parts of our first time. To be honest, I didn’t have much practice before I enrolled in my segment one class. I recall driving my mothers car once on the road, and then I practiced parking. Surprisingly I did better than the other two students who were driving with me. We each had to drive a certain amount of hours, as well as watching the other students drive. This was to monitor them, and hopefully learn from their mistakes. All of this was on top of classroom instruction of course. I remember my driving instructor was far more strict than the other driving instructor. I did get to take my final driving test with the other instructor, he was overall a more calm and talkative person. I think that is important for students as some students don't do well under pressure. They could panic and make mistakes. My point with that question was about how age correlates with accidents. As we dive deeper into the statistics, I will also be giving my thoughts and opinion on this topic.
In Michigan, you can begin the first segment of drivers training classes at 14 years and 8 months old. There are no shortage of states in the US that require you to be older to begin driver's training classes. Most start at 16, which is a big jump from 14 years old and 8 months, even though it doesn’t seem like it. These states that have higher age requirements for drivers training courses, seem to experience less accidents in total, as opposed to Michigan. Of course there are other factors such as population, infrastructure, and other laws that contribute to accidents and deaths. Accidents are more common among young drivers, especially younger men, to the point where insurance for young men is much higher than that of millennials or boomers. Younger drivers are simply more reckless, especially when with friends who can influence their thinking. There are even restrictions if you have a level one license on who you can have in the car with you for that very reason. If you have a level one license, you have to be accompanied by a fully licensed adult age 21 or older. You definitely want to minimize distractions when you are a beginner driver. It also depends on the quality of driving school your school goes through. Some schools receive better funding than other schools, and some schools use their funding better than those same schools.
I think there are a few different things you could do to prevent accidents among young drivers. The most obvious thing you could do, is to increase the age requirement for segment one classes. They could make it 16, like most states in the US. Students are much more responsible at 16 than they are at 14 and 15. The next thing to change is to raise the license level from 17, to 18, just like most states. It could also help to do some research on what states have the lowest death rate in automobile accidents, and find out how they compare to states with higher death rates. I am sure since they have different age requirements, that they also have different teaching methods to cope with it. Another great change we can make is to dedicate more government funding for schools that have less resources. That way they can receive better instruction, thus reducing accidents on the road.
I am lucky enough to say that I have never been in an accident. I am young (18), but I know of people my age that have been in serious accidents. One of my coworkers at a previous job got into a bad car accident at my age and he and three other family members passed away. Only the father survived. I live in a smaller area so accidents really aren’t that common here, but when they do happen, it definitely makes you second guess all your actions and choices. Whether its glancing at your phone for a second, or making a risky decision that could endanger other drivers, or your own life.
Some steps you can take to lessen your chances of causing an accident, or becoming a victim of an accident is to always watch the road, and what other people are doing. Many drivers make stupid decisions, so it's best to expect them to endanger you. You may also want to minimize distractions such as your radio and phone. Invest in a phone mount so it's not in your hand, and so you aren't always looking down on it. Fortunately many states have laws against using your phone while driving.
In Michigan, you can begin the first segment of drivers training classes at 14 years and 8 months old. There are no shortage of states in the US that require you to be older to begin driver's training classes. Most start at 16, which is a big jump from 14 years old and 8 months, even though it doesn’t seem like it. These states that have higher age requirements for drivers training courses, seem to experience less accidents in total, as opposed to Michigan. Of course there are other factors such as population, infrastructure, and other laws that contribute to accidents and deaths. Accidents are more common among young drivers, especially younger men, to the point where insurance for young men is much higher than that of millennials or boomers. Younger drivers are simply more reckless, especially when with friends who can influence their thinking. There are even restrictions if you have a level one license on who you can have in the car with you for that very reason. If you have a level one license, you have to be accompanied by a fully licensed adult age 21 or older. You definitely want to minimize distractions when you are a beginner driver. It also depends on the quality of driving school your school goes through. Some schools receive better funding than other schools, and some schools use their funding better than those same schools.
I think there are a few different things you could do to prevent accidents among young drivers. The most obvious thing you could do, is to increase the age requirement for segment one classes. They could make it 16, like most states in the US. Students are much more responsible at 16 than they are at 14 and 15. The next thing to change is to raise the license level from 17, to 18, just like most states. It could also help to do some research on what states have the lowest death rate in automobile accidents, and find out how they compare to states with higher death rates. I am sure since they have different age requirements, that they also have different teaching methods to cope with it. Another great change we can make is to dedicate more government funding for schools that have less resources. That way they can receive better instruction, thus reducing accidents on the road.
I am lucky enough to say that I have never been in an accident. I am young (18), but I know of people my age that have been in serious accidents. One of my coworkers at a previous job got into a bad car accident at my age and he and three other family members passed away. Only the father survived. I live in a smaller area so accidents really aren’t that common here, but when they do happen, it definitely makes you second guess all your actions and choices. Whether its glancing at your phone for a second, or making a risky decision that could endanger other drivers, or your own life.
Some steps you can take to lessen your chances of causing an accident, or becoming a victim of an accident is to always watch the road, and what other people are doing. Many drivers make stupid decisions, so it's best to expect them to endanger you. You may also want to minimize distractions such as your radio and phone. Invest in a phone mount so it's not in your hand, and so you aren't always looking down on it. Fortunately many states have laws against using your phone while driving.
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