New research on the brain completed at the UCLA Lab of Neurological Imaging suggests development stages of the brain do not allow for 16 to 19-year-olds to be fully prepared for driving. In regards to development and restructuring of the brain, the discovery may be entirely factual, but its relation to driving is absurd because of all the other known factors for driving mishaps. Coincidentally, these other explanations shift blame to teenagers as the number of stereotypes against young drivers continues to grow.
A single study of the brain cannot provide enough information to be explain the actions of every young driver. Many teenagers in the age range listed above are fully qualified to drive and possess the maturity and responsibility to do so carefully. Paul Thompson of the UCLA lab mentioned that the area of the brain that handles risks needs further development to handle driving. Mr. Thompson should be reminded that the whole idea of a risk is that it is often impossible to prepare for, especially when other drivers can be the ones to unexpectedly make the wrong move. The questionable results of this recent study serve to add just one more item to the list of faults while adults and senior citizens appear to be making many of the same mistakes.
One such mistake is the use of cell phones. It would be wrong of me to say that 16 to 19-year-olds do not speak on their cell phones while driving, but it would also be wrong to say that adults are not guilty of the same infraction. I've seen a majority of adult drivers using their cell phones in the middle of rush hour, oblivious to traffic light changes, carelessly changing lanes and showing disgust toward other drivers who were paying attention. Just because our generation saw the major take-off of this technology does not mean we are the only ones who put them to use, especially while driving.
A second notable stereotype of teenage drivers is that they are guilty of driving while intoxicated. While I can not accurately account for some of the high school drivers today, it should be noted that many 18 and 19-year-olds are currently on college campuses doing very little driving in general. Even those with cars at school are apt to leave their vehicle at home when they go out to engage in drinking. Why, then, are the students targeted as poor drivers while walking safely down the sidewalk when many adults are leaving the bars, getting into their cars and driving home drunk?
The media attempt to show statistical evidence that more teenagers have been involved in deadly car crashes but fail to show the numbers. Much of the reason is because they cite a higher amount of crash-related deaths among young people, but they neglect, time and time again, to mention the other drivers involved in the accident and the circumstances under which the accident occurred.
In the same respect, winter driving accidents receive more scrutiny when they involve a student driver when in reality winter weather poses the same threat to every driver, regardless of experience.
A major problem of restricting driving privileges due to brain development is that this theory cannot be applied to every driver in an equal way. Brain development is susceptible to an individual's own growth and many people are above or below what experimenters state as the average. It seems strange youth are targeted as not being eady"" for driving when it is the youngest minds that retain the most information quickest.
If teenagers are singled out for the superstitions about their age range, shouldn't adults receive punishment for their tendency to casually dismiss sharp driving skills and refer to driving as a right instead of a privilege? Or how about senior citizens who are known to lose much of their brain acuity with age and might themselves be deemed incapable of driving? The rebuttals are endless.
Driving involves making mistakes in order to learn basic rules. If adolescents are continually held back from the opportunity, these mistakes will only follow them when they are given the chance. It's time to shorten the list of wrongs attached to young adulthood and share the road willingly.
opinion@dailycardinal.
