Driver BewareFor years, heated debates over whether the driving age for teenagers should be sixteen or eighteen have gripped the nation. Sixteen year olds have a legitimate argument for keeping the age as it is, but statistics show that sixteen year olds are not responsible enough to drive and it takes more practice before they can. get a driving license. However, at first glance, it appears that the legislation will set the legal driving age at eighteen. Sixteen year olds have a valid argument as to why the age should remain as it is now. Endersby argues that many teenagers are actually safe and careful drivers and should not be punished for the bad behavior of others. Additionally, studies show that the same bad behavior commonly seen in men in their twenties is seen in sixteen and seventeen year olds. Driving is also an integral part of a teenager's social life. They need a permit to go to school, work or social events. So, one way to keep the driving age at sixteen and drive better on the road is to have a graduated driver's license. This GDL would allow new drivers to gain driving experience under the supervision of an older, experienced driver before being able to drive on their own. (Endersby) The question is not whether teenagers are worse drivers than more responsible adults. According to some researchers, a study in the 1990s indicated that accident-related deaths among sixteen- and seventeen-year-olds were eighteen per 100,000 in New Jersey and twenty-six per 100,000 in Connecticut. In the United States, more than 5,000 teenagers die in car accidents each year. The National Highway Safety Administration has stated that the crash rate per mile driven for novice drivers is almost ten times that of drivers aged thirty to fifty-nine. (Irvine; Greg...... middle of paper......statistics that show they don't have enough experience, don't make good decisions and are prone to Works Cited. "CDC - Injuries - Teen Drivers: Fact Sheet. " Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Web. Endersby, Alastair. 2010. .Gregory, Ted. “Should 16-year-olds Drive?” Chicagotribune.com. .Irvine, Martha. " Web. March 22, 2010. .Pabst, Lora, and Pat Pheifer. “Beware, Teens: Effort to Raise Driving Age." StarTribune.com Web, March 15, 2010. “Teen Driver Accident Statistics ».. 2010. .