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Is Teen Driving a Right or a Privilege?
There are many privileges that Americans enjoy as rights. One such example is the privilege of driving as the government grants the majority of individuals the privilege to drive. Consequently, the Law must extend the same considerations to all American citizens as it is their right to be treated fairly and equally under the Law. On the other hand, in the state interest of public safety, any American's freedoms can be restricted. As such, adolescents are one group of individuals whose rights are often severely limited in order to protect them and others from their own lack of judgment and inexperience. Because driving has the great potential of turning into a hazardous activity, teenage driving privileges are highly restricted.
No adult or adolescent has the right to exercise a freedom in a manner that infringes upon the rights of another citizen or endangers the safety of other individuals. Adults have the legal right to consume alcohol while they also have the right to obtain and exercise the privilege to drive; however, the act of indulging in both freedoms simultaneously is extremely hazardous to the person and anyone else near the road or in the car. Furthermore, the weak ability of teenagers to make rational decisions and their lack of experience in the complicated task of driving leaves government the need to protect adolescents and society from young and inexperienced drivers.
Meanwhile, it is important for youth to earn their driving privileges while they are under the age of eighteen. The threshold of eighteen is the time when all Americans become legally responsible for their own actions while they are guaranteed their full Constitutional freedoms. Therefore, they are no longer under the authority of their parents. In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, parents are given the authority to legally suspend a minor's license at will. As such, parents can better control their children's driving privileges and help shape them into responsible, safe drivers.
Plainly, if individuals are denied the right to drive until eighteen, parents lose the opportunity to shape their child's driving behavior. Drivers undergo training aimed at teaching them the basics of driving while they must also pass competency tests to demonstrate they can follow driving laws; however, how they behave as an independent driver is shaped by their experiences in the first few years of driving on their own. Short of any major accidents or serious legal penalties, new drivers need consequences for poor driving behavior, which parents can provide so long as they are underage. Moreover, teen driving is a privilege that can be regulated and restricted beyond adult driving privileges to help make the roads safer.
No adult or adolescent has the right to exercise a freedom in a manner that infringes upon the rights of another citizen or endangers the safety of other individuals. Adults have the legal right to consume alcohol while they also have the right to obtain and exercise the privilege to drive; however, the act of indulging in both freedoms simultaneously is extremely hazardous to the person and anyone else near the road or in the car. Furthermore, the weak ability of teenagers to make rational decisions and their lack of experience in the complicated task of driving leaves government the need to protect adolescents and society from young and inexperienced drivers.
Meanwhile, it is important for youth to earn their driving privileges while they are under the age of eighteen. The threshold of eighteen is the time when all Americans become legally responsible for their own actions while they are guaranteed their full Constitutional freedoms. Therefore, they are no longer under the authority of their parents. In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, parents are given the authority to legally suspend a minor's license at will. As such, parents can better control their children's driving privileges and help shape them into responsible, safe drivers.
Plainly, if individuals are denied the right to drive until eighteen, parents lose the opportunity to shape their child's driving behavior. Drivers undergo training aimed at teaching them the basics of driving while they must also pass competency tests to demonstrate they can follow driving laws; however, how they behave as an independent driver is shaped by their experiences in the first few years of driving on their own. Short of any major accidents or serious legal penalties, new drivers need consequences for poor driving behavior, which parents can provide so long as they are underage. Moreover, teen driving is a privilege that can be regulated and restricted beyond adult driving privileges to help make the roads safer.
