Argumentative Essay Outline: Teenage Drivers

Name______________________________________________________Argumentative Essay Outline Topic -Background Does seeing a teenager behind the wheel of a car make you scared? Well, your fears are justified. The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry notes that having a driving license is an essential aspect a high school student holds (American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 2016, Apr). It gives sixteen-year-old teens independence from their parents, makes them responsible and enables them to work. However, vehicle crashes are the chief cause of death for teenagers aged sixteen to twenty years, with approximately 5,500 teen drivers or passengers dying yearly according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2017). Teenage drivers are prone to poor judgment, engaging in thrill-seeking behavior, mood swings and acting on impulse, which significantly affects their ability to drive. Thesis (Topic + Focus + Main Idea) While not all teenagers are irresponsible, children should not be allowed to drive at the age of sixteen years old because they are inexperienced, they are easily distracted, and their consumption of drugs and alcohol impairs them. Supporting Point #1 Evidence (explanation / examples, etc.) The prominent cause of deadly and non-fatal motor vehicle accidents among sixteen-year-olds is inexperience. Experience matters a lot in making an individual a competent driver. For teenagers, obtaining a learner’s permit enables them to attend driver’s education classes for thirty hours of classroom instructions and six hours training on the road. However, this training is not enough to make teenagers experienced as in between their busy schedules of school, sports, and other extracurricular activities; they do not get time to practice driving under adult supervision. Consequently, according to research studies, it results in high rates of crashes in their first five months of driving accounting for one hundred and twenty crushes in ten thousand drivers (Brody, 2007, Feb 6). Hence, licensing high school drivers makes them the youngest drivers on the road who drive dangerously, increasing the onset of crashes, harm, and death. Supporting Point #2 Evidence (explanation / examples, etc.) Another reason why children should not drive at sixteen is young drivers easily distract. Distractions, according to researchers, are a prominent cause of road accidents among adults and teenagers alike. When it comes to sixteen-year-olds, it is more dangerous. Teenagers are quick learners and master the basics of driving very fast; however; they are easily distracted. According to the New York Times, distractions inside the vehicle range from changing the radio or music player, climate control, eating, drinking and talking or texting on the phone (Brody, 2007, Feb 6). As a result, this alters their focus from the road, leading to them drifting out of their lanes to oncoming vehicles. Also, due to inexperience; they cannot avoid danger on time, causing accidents. Supporting Point #3 (OPTIONAL if needed) Evidence (explanation / examples, etc.) The consumption of alcohol, marijuana and prescription medication is prevalent in causing roa...