Youth Drivers in New Zealand

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“Youth crashes car, killing all”

Just one of the many news headlines that we see all the time in New Zealand regarding youth drivers. 15 is far too young for a person to be in control of 1200 kilograms of malicious metal. New Zealand needs to catch up to the rest of the world and raise the driving age. Youth drivers are causing too many problems on our roads as results of their drink driving and the powerful cars that they own. Currently there are 400,000 drivers aged 15-25 on New Zealand’s roads. This group accounts for nearly a third of all road deaths and injuries. Because of this, the New Zealand population needs to take action and raise the driving age so that the roads can be safer again.

        Drink driving is a choice. Those who choose to partake in this harmful activity do so at the risk of them and everyone else on the road. Sadly many young drivers do not heed the countless warnings given to them and choose to engage themselves in such dangerous doings. Numerous drink-driving campaigns aimed at youths such as Students Against Driving Drunk (S.A.D.D) have made the New Zealand public aware of the risks involved in driving drunk. But still more and more youths drink and drive. This is a well-known fact. The bodies of young people cannot handle the levels of alcohol present in their systems and once they get behind the wheel of a vehicle they are endangering everyone in their vicinity. Where one beer may be fine for a fully grown adult to drink with little or no effect on them, this one beer may be enough to get some teens drunk. Being so young and small the alcohol stays in their bodies and greatly influences how they perceive the driving environment. Reaction speeds slow down and judgment becomes flawed. Between 2003 and 2005, 31% of all fatal accidents caused by youth drivers came about as a result of alcohol. A teen is not responsible enough to be put behind something so powerful when they are clearly incapable of making sound judgments.        

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        Boy racers are another problem that is widespread in New Zealand. In the year 2005 teenage drivers were involved in 4507 crashes with 47% of those being because of their speed. Currently there are no laws stating what cars young drivers can or cannot drive. As a result of this, many teenagers are behind the wheels of souped up cars, sometimes with engines more powerful than 2000cc. With alterations such as rotary engines and lowered bodies, these cars are extremely dangerous when placed in the hands of naïve and inexperienced youths. During weekends large groups of teenage boy racers congregate ...

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