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Logical Fallacies
STATMENT: By all means, teenagers should be the best drivers in the world. Their muscles and their reflexes should be quick enough to handle anything.
FALLACY: False dichotomy
The arguer sets up the situation so it looks like there are only two choices. The arguer then eliminates one of the choices, so it seems that we are left with only one option: the one the arguer wanted us to pick in the first place.
Certainly, teenagers do have quick reflexes. However, quick reflexes aren't enough. It also takes considerable experience in order to drive well. While reflex speed declines in later life, the gap is at least partly filled up by driving experience. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has statistics on drivers based on both age and driving experience. They found that inexperience behind the wheel contributes substantially to both accident rate and fatality rate. In addition, the fatality rate for teens was more marked when compared to older drivers, who might well have slower reflexes than teens typically...
The rate of teen accidents was highest when compared based on the number of miles drivers have driven, confirming that experience behind the wheel reduces accident rates (IIHS, 2005). In fact multiple skills contribute to safe driving, including adequate reflexes, experience, and acquired skills such as defensive driving. An example of that would be using mirrors frequently so the driver knows where other cars are and what they might be likely to do in an emergency.
STATEMENT: Is it safer for children to begin driving when they are older than 16? A teenager's first 500 miles of driving are the most dangerous. During that time, they're 10 times more likely to crash than an adult (Stafford, 2005a).
FALLACY: Missing the point
DEFINITION: The premises of an argument do support a particular conclusion -- but not the conclusion that the arguer actually draws.
DISCUSSION: The statistic given is alarming and should be of great concern to all parents, since their children will inevitably learn to drive some…
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). 2005. "Q & A: Teenagers -- General," at Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Last updated July, 2005. Accessed via the Internet 8/1/05. <http://www.iihs.org/safety_facts/qanda/teens.htm>
Stafford, Rob. 2005a. "The Perils of Teen Driving," On DATELINE (NBC). Viewed on television 7/8/05. Accessed via the Internet 8/1/05. <http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8501174/>
Stafford, Rob. 2005b. "Spy My Ride," On DATELINE (NBC). Viewed on television 7/8/05. Accessed via the Internet 8/1/05. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8501438/
Teenage Driving From day one, when a teenager reaches the age of 16 to 18, it has always been a dream to drive a car to school, to the mall or to a friend's house. It is at this point in time wherein driving turns into a fad rather than a skill, to impress, to flaunt and to enjoy, A usual part of adolescence. The car or any kind of vehicle
Some people think that 16 is too young for people to be driving because teenagers are not responsible (Opposition). However, the frequent requirement of taking a course, as well as passing a driving test and having 40 hours of experience, shows that not just anyone can become a driver. It takes time, interest and commitment. In response to those who call for graduated driving laws, in most cases this
There is only supposed to be one other teen under 18 inside the car of an under aged driver (O'Donoghue), and this helps keep teen drivers safer, as well, as too many people in the car can be a distraction to the driver. Parents should ensure that these rules are followed, and the curfew causes parents to be more aware of where their children are and when they return
(8-16) Furthermore, the tendency to take risks may be increased by peer pressure, emotional lability, and other stresses. Finally, teenagers drive more frequently under higher risk conditions (ie, at night and/or without seatbelts). (1) The American Academy of Pediatrics, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and other governmental, private, and professional organizations have recommended legislation to institute a program of graduated driver licensing (GDL). These programs remove driving restrictions in
One of those alarming physical changes is that the younger a person is when they begin drinking, even at low levels the more likely they are to become alcoholics. This change even overrides a known genetic predisposition for alcoholism. (Butler, July 4, 2006) Time forward ads regarding adult failure could be developed at a later time but again such images and concerns do not seem to sway teens. Funding
Teenage Drinking How can the trend toward increased alcohol consumption in teenagers be reduced? The answer to this critical societal question is being addressed by a number of researchers. It is believed that advertising offers a potential explanation for the rise. In 1999, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission called for the alcohol industry to modify its practices in order to limit underage exposure to alcohol advertising (Federal Trade Commission [FTC], 1999). According