Create a one page report of status of business project to the supervisor. It should be 2-3 paragraphs on 1.audience 2.How it would be administered (advantage and disadvantage). It should be persuasive or analyzing or informative.

DATE: December 4, 2008

TO: Phil Riddle, Congressman District 233

FROM: John Smith, CEO, Drive Later Project Inc.

SUBJECT: Raising the Legal Driving Age

Style like a memo or letter (heading). Remember, an informal report is usually internal and should be styled like a memo. Space the heading like a memo!

A License at Sixteen Is Not So Sweet

Keep everything single spaced except for between paragraphs.

Thirty-four hundred pounds of steel, two hundred eighty-five horsepower, combine that with an unsupervised teen driver and you have a recipe for a fatality. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 1999, 5,749 teens died of injuries caused by motor vehicle crashes. On average, that’s one teen death on the nation’s roadways every 91 minutes. Another alarming statistic by the Centers for Disease Control, cites the risk for motor vehicle crashes is higher among 16- to 19-year-olds than any other age group. In fact, per mile driven, a 16-year-old driver is seven times more likely to crash than a driver 25 to 29 years old (CDC Injury Fact Book). These are frightening statistics and should be a wake up call to all parents and lawmakers. We need to cure this national epidemic, and we can by raising the legal driving age.

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Some states endorse programs that offer teens the opportunity to complete some sort of driver education course, along with a few hours of supervised practice before they are allowed to apply for their license. The majority of these states require a learning permit that can be obtained at the age of fifteen, which again, only promotes supervised driving and not real experience. This learning stage is a period of low risk, understandably, because a young driver with an adult is going to avoid high risk conditions and respond to dangerous situations with help. A few states such as Texas have implemented a law to allow for continual training called the Graduated

Driver License. This proceeding also involves supervised driving along with imposed limitations on the beginner, such as no driving at night, and no teen passengers. While this is a step in the right direction, parents and lawmakers need to recognize that it is a mistake to use these programs as a final measurement for the qualification of a novice driver. We wouldn’t ask teenagers learning gymnastics or swimming to take 30 hours of classroom instruction and then 4 hours of practice and expect them to perform at the Olympics. That’s basically

what we’ve done with young drivers.

Driving is considered a right of passage for American teens and a symbol of adulthood and independence, no wonder they are so eager to get behind the wheel as early as the age of 14. This may be an exciting and emotional time for kids, but all too often driving and immaturity prove to be a deadly combination. Most experienced drivers would agree that they are much more qualified after a few years in the driver’s seat than when they first started. The same can be said for just about anything we attempt to learn or show competency in; given that there is no substitution for experience. However, we can’t possibly be so untried as to think that a sixteen-year-old is mature enough mentally and physically to make the kinds of decisions required while operating a vehicle. Some might argue that beginners are never going to gain experience if they are not allowed the opportunity to drive. While this is a valid argument, we should also consider the consequences of “on the job training,” and what kind of disasters have occurred when we allow kids behind the wheel who have not fully developed their reflexes and decision making skills. When the media reports a violent car crash involving a teen drag racing or driving drunk, it becomes easy for society to demand tougher laws and stronger penalties to address those issues. However, when the media reports a crash that involves a teen who misjudged the speed around a corner, or overcorrected after veering off of the road, it becomes easy for us to lose sight of the fact that these miscalculations were made by a sixteen-year-old driver who can be as deadly as a street racer. By raising the legal driving age, we can prevent a large number of fatalities that are often the result of increased risk taking associated with immaturity and not just a matter of knowing right from wrong.

Parents Contribute to the Problem

Parents are faced with the biggest dilemma when it comes to letting their kids drive at the age of sixteen. They want their kids to start driving as soon as possible so they don’t have to chauffeur them around to the overwhelming amount of after school and weekend activities that are so popular at that age. Some parents are often the most eager when it comes to getting a driver license for their teen as they realize the conveniences, while others know it is very dangerous and would like to see the laws changed. Many parents feel as if their teenage children are somewhat

responsible and would like to give them what they want. In doing this, parents can overlook the consequences of trying to please their teen which may be putting them in a dangerous situation.

For those parents committed to keeping their kids out of a vehicle at such a young age, they too are faced with a very difficult situation, peer pressure. This alone can be the number one motivation for a teen to get their license as soon as possible; after all, most high school kids do not want to be made fun of for riding the school bus or having a parent drop them off at a social function. Take a look at the number of families with limited resources who are forced to provide an older, more poorly maintained vehicle for their kids. In this case, peer pressure has affected

the parent’s decision whether or not to put their kid in a potentially unsafe car in order to give in to the demands of teen society. Not only is it important in the minds of teens as to when they get their license, but also what type of car they drive. For parents with unlimited resources, car-makers are targeting their young drivers by placing more emphasis on such things as stereos, cell phones, video equipment, and performance, which provides even more distractions while they drive. If states were to pass a law raising the legal driving age, it would level the playing field and take the social peer pressures off of the kids, thus allowing the parents to make good decisions with only the well being of their child in mind.

Arguments for early licensing often come from those who live in rural, less populated areas with long commutes to schools or other activities. This argument may represent a large number of people, but it does not represent the majority. Roads are becoming more overcrowded as the population continues to shift toward the large cities. By raising the driving age, we can help ease some of this congestion and cut down on the number of accidents resulting in fatalities. Since teens would not be able to drive at such an early age, many of them would have to explore alternative means of transportation such as carpools or mass transit systems in order to get where they need to go. This would make it safer for our kids and teach them that it is acceptable to ride a bus in our society. If we can change that stigma, then perhaps we can start a generation of young adults willing to participate in energy conservation and environmental protection.

Economic Benefit to Raising the Legal Driving Age

From an economic standpoint we can find some benefits in waiting a couple of more years for our kids to drive. Many families have kids whose ages are very close together. This can lead to an increased financial strain on the parents as they struggle to buy multiple cars and pay for high insurance premiums. If teens are not allowed to obtain their driver license until the age of eighteen or after, most will have finished high school and either go to college or enter into the job market. For those graduates getting a job, it will be easier for the parents to request that they help pay for part of the cost of owning a vehicle. For those who wish to continue with education, the parents can plan on buying one car for them instead of having to purchase a less expensive one first, and then help with a second more reliable car during college.

There is nothing any parent fears more than a tragic loss of their child. Our teenagers, despite all the trouble they may cause, or how rebellious they can be, don’t deserve to die at such a young

age. We as parents, educators, and lawmakers are failing these youngsters miserably by not protecting them from a predictable event such as a teen related car wreck. If we are going to keep these kids alive and eliminate the greatest risk they face as teens, then we are going to have to get serious about raising the driving age. If we continue to let emotional issues and peer pressure get in the way of common sense and good judgment, then we will continue to see an increase in the number of kids who will not make it to their best years.

This report is persuasive, so it started with the main point then moved to supporting arguments.

Works Cited

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Injury Fact Book 2001-2002.” Online posting.

Teens Behind the Wheel. 13 September 2005.

<http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/fact_book/27_Teens_Behind_Wheel.htm>