There is an opinion that young people must be 21 years old before getting a driving license. The main argument for this position is that maximum maturity occurs at the age of 21, when people can be fully responsible for their actions. A counterargument is the fact that some children are ready to take responsibility at an earlier age, starting from the age of 16.
The main goal of critical thinking is problem-solving, and the main result of critical thinking is judgment. A hypothesis is one of the key critical thinking skills since having a problem involves formulating assumptions about its solution. Awareness gives rise to independence, which is characterized by a person’s ability to set new tasks and deal with problems without resorting to the help of other people.
On the one hand, at age 21, most people reach the right level of awareness to be able to drive a vehicle. People are mature enough to take responsibility for themselves and their actions at this age. At the age of 16, children are not yet fully aware of their responsibility. The introduction of a rule to issue a driving license at the age of 21 may reduce the number of accidents.
On the other hand, many people achieve awareness much earlier. There are many examples of teenagers taking responsibility for themselves and their loved ones at the age of 16. In this case, it would be wrong to restrict their rights and prohibit driving a vehicle. In addition, 16 years is the age when children choose their future career; that is, they are old enough to make informed decisions.
In my opinion, 21 years old is too old to restrict people from obtaining a driving license. Firstly, due to life circumstances, many teenagers are forced to drive much earlier, for example, to get to a remote educational institution. Such a law would severely restrict many people in their ability to move and choose a place to study, work, or, for example, a medical facility.
Secondly, by the age of 21, it may be too late to start a new and serious driving activity. The best age to learn and quickly acquire new skills is adolescence (Walters, 2020). Without proper practice, people cannot learn to drive a car, so starting this process as early as possible is necessary. At 21, it can be harder to rebuild the body’s reactions, so it may be too late to get a driver’s license.
Finally, the issuance of driver’s licenses before the age of 21 cannot be prohibited, because many teenagers start helping their families at an earlier age. A car is especially necessary for difficult life situations, and if people live in remote areas. Assistance in buying food, delivering relatives to a medical facility, and communicating with relatives living in remote areas should be available to people earlier.
Thus, the possibility of obtaining a driving license by the age of 21 cannot be limited. This can greatly complicate the lives of many people who have become independent and able to take responsibility for their actions at an earlier age. Each case is individual and cannot be brought under a strict general rule. The introduction of such a restriction can seriously impair the quality of life of people from remote regions.
Reference
Walters, S. (2020). Psychology – The 1st Canadian Edition. Thompson Rivers University.