While some individuals pay no mind to seeing a teenager behind the wheel of a car, there are others who cringe at the site. As soon as they see the words "Student Driver" plastered on the car, they envision one more hazard on the road. This could be considered a type of stereotyping, but there is a reason in which these people feel this way. They have probably seen in the media and even in person a multiple vehicle accident caused by a teenage driver or an accident a teenager driver got into on their own.
However, there are also statistics that support the fact that teenage drivers tend to see more wrecks than older drivers and this usually has to do with the amount of experience of the driver. Then again, there are things nowadays that are distracting teenage drivers that used to not even exist. Amongst those things are cell phones. With cell phones teenagers are not only talking, but they are text messaging while driving. Yes, there are adults that do this as well, but the results can be devastating when mixing this type of activity with inexperience.
Boys VS Girls
Many insurance companies will have a higher premium for teenage male drivers than teenage girls. This is because the boys are more likely to take risks than the girls. Nevertheless, teenage drivers as a whole take more risks than they do their adult counterparts. It is simply in their nature and has caused some to question whether or not teenagers should be permitted to drive.
As an answer to the debates regarding when a teenager should and should not drive, various states have put rules into force that have either increased the legal driving age or required more criteria to be fulfilled before granting a driver's license. Of course, this goes for both the males and the females regardless of their degree of risk. The last thing that anyone wants to see is another young promising life killed in another terrible car accident.
Does this make them bad drivers?
Technically, none of this makes young people bad drivers. There are some exceptional young drivers on the road. This gives great reason for them not to be stereotyped just because they are you. Yes, the insurance premiums may be higher due to what the statistics tell the insurance companies, but there are some very competent young drivers on the road today.
One of the things that should be taken into consideration is the fact that they have recently completed driver education. Everything is fresh in their mind in regards to traffic rules that most adults forget over time. They have practiced their driving skills with a licensed instructor; therefore these teenage drivers can be the most competent drivers on the road.
When they first hit the road, they are not displaying the sloppy driving habits that they will possibly make when they get older. It is true that they are inexperienced, but the truth of the matter is the fact that the accidents we hear about tend to be the select few. What the media reports makes us feel that teenage drivers do not have an ounce of competency within their systems. Even if the wreck is not their fault, the moment the word, "teen" comes out of the reporter's mouth, it is automatically assumed that they were at fault. Yes, it does happen, and yes, teenagers are known for risk. There have been measures put into place that allow them to hone their driving skills better than ever, but, unfortunately, the bad reputation has been there for a very long time. Just keep in mind that not every teenage driver is a bad driver and not every adult is a good driver.
