In response to the alarmingly high rate of traffic accidents, some people think that we should increase the legal driving age. Although I think this solution can be somewhat beneficial, it is not effective in general.
Firstly, lifting the legal driving age will increase pressure on public transport systems and parents to accommodate without a driving license. For example, raising the driving age from 18 to 21 means tens of thousands of people will not be able to drive. As a result, more buses, taxis, and must be put into use, or parents will have to continue driving their children around. Secondly, the most common causes of traffic accidents are and driving in the wrong lanes. These have little to do with the legal driving age but more with . Therefore, increasing the legal driving age could do more harm than good for society.
However, I can also understand why some people would advocate for this idea. Firstly, by lifting the minimum driving age, driving schools will have more time to educate young adults on road safety, leading to future generations driving more carefully. For example, currently, if you want to get a driving license, most people do not attend a driving school. They only need to take a quiz and a driving test. That certainly can be improved. Secondly, it is evident that some traffic accidents also occur due to immature decisions, such as hosting races or riding a motorbike with more than two people. Lifting the minimum age can help to reduce these short-sighted behaviors.
In conclusion, despite some potential benefits that lifting the legal driving age can bring to society, I still think that this solution can do little to prevent traffic accidents in Vietnam.