Teenagers drink. No surprise there… but it’s been illegal in the US since the federal government threatened to withhold highway funds to any state that did not raise the drinking age to 21. Yet it’s legal for teenagers to begin driving as young as 15 or 16 or 17 years old. But accidents while driving cause 36% of all deaths among teens. (Centers for Disease Control), and drivers under age 24 account for 30% – $26 billion – of the total costs of car accidents in the US. (www.car-accidents.com)
Are our priorities backwards? If you are a teenager, would you trade an 18 year age limit for drinking, with a 21 year driving age limit? If you’re older, which do you think is best for teenagers…?