Writer's Block: Licensed to Drive
I do have problems with some of these arbitrary age requirements. Some kids are mature enough to drive at 14 while other people aren't mature enough to behind the wheel at 40. You've seen some of the drivers out there. I wouldn't trust them crossing the street, let alone operating a motor vehicle.
However, the age requirement is probably a necessary evil since no one has put together a universal maturity test. And I will admit that most teens do just fine driving. But looking at it as a whole, I don't think the benefits of letting teens drive outweigh the costs. As Allstate, the corporate sponsor of this question here points out, car accidents are the number one killers of teens. And of course, there's also the innocent lives these irresponsible drivers take with them.
So, I wouldn't have a problem with raising the driving age. I think it would save a lot of lives. The one exception is that I think 16 year-olds should be given special dispensation to drive if they need to drive in order to get to work. These kids should be allowed to drive, but only to and from their jobs.
And just on a personal note, I didn't get my license til well after age 16 and I don't see my life having been severly hindered because of it. In fact, I think it's been a good thing as it's made me less dependent on cars. I really wish more people in this country had that attitude.