Month: October 2014

Amazing Photos – St Brides, Pembrokeshire, Wales

On By JDSIn Photography2 Comments

St. Brides may be small and out-of-the-way but the views are stunning. Have a look at the photos I took…

Please like, comment or follow!

Stone wall surrounding 99 acres
Peaceful and quiet!
Stone wall surrounding the castle
A sheep
Onward!
St. Brides Haven
The castle
St. Brides Bay
Don’t look down!
A tunnel up ahead
St. Brides Castle
A row of sheep

Should the driving age be reduced a year?

On By JDSIn Miscellaneous2 Comments

Teenagers could be allowed to drive from the age 16 to try and cut the number of drivers killed on the road

Does it really make a difference waiting one more year to drive?

Teenage drivers are not mature, are not responsible and are not sufficiently experienced to drive. In fact, some can’t even reach the pedals or see over the steering wheel!

Reducing the driving age by a year would create more problems, more hazards and more deaths.

 

Younger drivers often don’t take driving seriously. They regard it as a form of entertainment and a means of showing off to their peers.

They often do not take responsibility for their actions, using excessive speed and the wrong attitude towards other road users. They frequently over-estimate their abilities and underestimate dangers.

If they want to experience the thrill of driving, they can drive on private roads accompanied by an experienced driver, use driving simulators or special test centres with dual controlled cars if you are concerned about safety.

Inexperience, over-confidence and sheer recklessness can all lead to an increase in accidents.

 

Recent statistics clearly show that young drivers (aged 17-24) are more likely to have an accident.

Young drivers have been shown to drive at high speeds, do not anticipate dangerous situations and have higher crash rates than drivers of any other age.

Research has shown that the presence of friends can both distract young drivers and encourage them to drive in a more risky way, causing them to lose control of the car.

56% of teens said they talk on the phone while driving and that is why 1 in 5 had an accident within their first year of driving.

Put simply, young drivers are statistically more likely to be involved in major collisions.

 

Reducing the driving age, increases the number of cars on the road, contributing to greater levels of congestion and pollution. These factors can lead to rising sea levels, a thinner ozone layer and global warming.

Have you ever been frustrated by a long traffic jam? Well if we drop the driving age to 16 then expect longer queues and more road rage.

 

The cost of insurance premiums for young drivers has continued to rise and will continue even further if the age limit is reduced.

Insurance companies have proven that young drivers remain a major danger on the road, to themselves, their passengers and other road users, with study after study showing that young people are far more likely to be involved in a crash than older drivers.

How can a young teenager afford to drive? The cost of a car, driving test, insurance and the MOT will reach an exorbitant level.

 

Driving can also conflict with education. 16 year olds should be focusing on studying and not learning to drive a car – something which can be learnt later on.

Some teenagers don’t wish to wait, but that year could be vital. When teens get to a higher age they mature, are more responsible for their actions and also take driving more seriously.

 

In conclusion, most accidents on the road occur as a result of the driver’s age and attitude, rather than just a lack of experience.

Data from the UK shows that:

  • An 18-year-old driver is more than three times as likely to be involved in a crash as a 48 year-old.
  • One in five new drivers has a crash within six months of passing their test.
  • Young male drivers have much higher crash rates than young female drivers.

 

Young people just don’t have a perception of risk, in terms of perceiving hazards. You have to have that development of the driving skill, to become a better driver.

Maintaining the age limit will not increase the number of fatal accidents, nor will it make roads more dangerous and will not put road users at risk.

 

What do you think?