# FILE NAME: 00001185.soc
# TITLE: Should we increase the legal driving age? [2a455a17d987d7fe9a75153641232be9]
# DESCRIPTION: 
# DATA TYPE: soc
# MODIFICATION TYPE: original
# RELATES TO: 
# RELATED FILES: 
# PUBLICATION DATE: 2025-10-12
# MODIFICATION DATE: 2025-10-12
# NUMBER ALTERNATIVES: 4
# NUMBER VOTERS: 5
# NUMBER UNIQUE ORDERS: 3
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 1: Statement 1 - While it is clear that the current legal driving age of 17 years is associated with higher mortality rates due to crashes, we do not think it should be increased. There are already various restrictions on new drivers that can limit their access to the roads, and these restrictions may be tightened further. However, increasing the age limit to a higher age would result in young people having less independence, and more reliance on parents or public transport. This would have a negative impact on their ability to get to school, or get a job, as well as a negative impact on their mental health. We think that the current driving test is quite a good indicator of whether someone has the skills to drive, and we think that it is a fair test for 17 year olds. There is some evidence that people over the age of 20 are more likely to have car accidents than younger drivers, so increasing the driving age to 18 is not a guaranteed way to improve road safety. We think that it is better to concentrate on other ways of making the roads safer, such as improved education of young people, and restricting access to the roads for drivers who have caused previous accidents. We think that improving public transport in rural areas would help to reduce the need for young
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 2: Statement 2 - We believe the legal driving age should not be increased.  We do however feel there should be more restrictions on younger drivers to reduce the number of incidents that involve young people and driving, so we feel there should be a 'probation' period after passing the driving test, and restrictions on night time driving, number of passengers, alcohol, etc
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 3: Statement 3 - No, we should not increase the legal driving age. We believe that the current age of 17 is appropriate for young people to obtain their driving license.  We feel that the current driving test is sufficient to ensure that young people have the necessary skills to drive safely on the roads.  We also feel that increasing the driving age will have a negative impact on the employment prospects of young people, as many jobs require the ability to drive.  We also feel that young people should be encouraged to drive safely and we would support campaigns to improve driver safety and awareness.
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 4: Statement 4 - No, the legal driving age should not be increased. The current age of 17 is a good age for people to start driving. There should be more restrictions for young drivers regarding motorway, speed and night time driving etc.
3: 1,3,2,4
1: 2,1,3,4
1: 4,2,3,1