For the benefit of Everyone
As most 16 year olds already know, turning 16 just isn't so sweet anymore. It used to be that upon turning 16, everybody gets to go to the DMV and get a license to drive. Well it's still the same, only with restrictions. Senator Tim Leslie suggested a new set of provisional laws for new teenage drivers in California. He got the idea from similar successful laws enforced in Ontario, Canada and they soon became effective in California on July 1, 1998. The laws prohibit drivers under the age of 18 from driving between midnight and 5am unless accompanied by a driver 25 or older/ Also, for the first six months of having a license, new teenage drivers are not allowed to drive any passengers younger than 20 unless someone 25 or older is also present. (Carl Ingram) Almost needless to say, many teenagers are disappointed with the provisional laws, but many adults, including myself, are grateful for them. What is officially called The Teen Driver Safety Act, or the provisional driving laws, was intended to target "teenage drivers because they constitute the group at highest risk of being in an accident." The main cause for teenage driving accidents is merely lack of experience. (Sylvia Pagan Westphal, Da
From personal experience, I know that there can be many other causes for teen drivers getting into accidents. One 17 year old said, "It was a good idea to keep the streets safer from crazy teenagers, but it is screwed up for people who do need a car for important necessities. " Another incident involved three of my friends who were involved in a small rear-end collision. On top of repairs, she was ordered to pay an additional $35 fine for each passenger that she was not supposed to be transporting. A tragic example left 18 year old Anthony Charles Famini, a spiritual individual and avid student, dead. (Westphal, Haldane) There will always be those rebellious teenage drivers who will still disobey the provisional laws. So far the statistics have proven the laws to be effective. It's not uncommon to hear about teens being involved in accidents related to drugs or alcohol. Not to be stereotypical, because everybody is a teenager at one time, but teens are known to be a bit irresponsible. I think that the part of the provisional laws restricting teens from driving between midnight and 5am is also an attempt to keep teens from driving under the influence. Some feel that the burden of the provisional driving laws is, in a sense, taking away the civil liberties of teenagers. Keeping teens from driving during the late night is just another attempt to keep them safe and out of trouble. A DMV spokesman stated that "The law is going to have an impact not necessarily because (teenagers) are following rules, but because they fear for the consequences" (Westphal, Haldane) Despite those who look past the restrictions, the laws have still proven to be effective among the new teenage drivers. vid Haldane) With the provisional laws, new teen drivers have to drive 50 hours with their parents as well as 6 hours with a professional driving instructor. The driver, despite being restricted by the driving laws, had two passengers.
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Acceptance Essays
