Putting the Brakes on Teenage Driving
PERSUASIVE
“Putting the Brakes on Teenage Driving ”
Introduction
I. On a chilly November night, a Ford Explorer charged down a California highway.
A. The 16-year-old driver and three of his friends were returning from a concert when the driver lost control of the car.
B. The driver and one passenger were killed; the other two passengers were severely injured.
C. One of the passengers was my nephew, who will be in a wheelchair for the rest of his life.
II. Tragic auto accidents involving teenage drivers are much too common in all parts of the United States.
III. After researching the subject, I have come to agree with the experts that the best way to prevent such accidents is to raise the age for full driving privileges to 18.
IV. I know from my audience-analysis questionnaire that most of you oppose such a plan, but I ask you to listen with an open mind while we discuss the problems associated with teenage driving, the major causes of the problems, and a plan that will help solve the problems.
Body
I. There are too many motor vehicle accidents, deaths, and injuries involving teenage drivers.
A. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, while teenagers make up 7 percent of the nation’s licensed drivers, they represent 14 percent of all motor vehicle fatalities.
B. Last year alone 8,666 people were killed in automobile accidents involving teenage drivers—almost exactly the number of full-time students on this campus.
C. Evidence also shows that the younger the driver, the greater the risk.
1. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 16-year-olds have “the highest percentage of crashes involving speeding, the highest percentage of single-vehicle crashes, and the highest percentage of crashes with driver error.”
2. USA Today reports that 16-year-olds are three times
“Putting the Brakes on Teenage Driving ”
Introduction
I. On a chilly November night, a Ford Explorer charged down a California highway.
A. The 16-year-old driver and three of his friends were returning from a concert when the driver lost control of the car.
B. The driver and one passenger were killed; the other two passengers were severely injured.
C. One of the passengers was my nephew, who will be in a wheelchair for the rest of his life.
II. Tragic auto accidents involving teenage drivers are much too common in all parts of the United States.
III. After researching the subject, I have come to agree with the experts that the best way to prevent such accidents is to raise the age for full driving privileges to 18.
IV. I know from my audience-analysis questionnaire that most of you oppose such a plan, but I ask you to listen with an open mind while we discuss the problems associated with teenage driving, the major causes of the problems, and a plan that will help solve the problems.
Body
I. There are too many motor vehicle accidents, deaths, and injuries involving teenage drivers.
A. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, while teenagers make up 7 percent of the nation’s licensed drivers, they represent 14 percent of all motor vehicle fatalities.
B. Last year alone 8,666 people were killed in automobile accidents involving teenage drivers—almost exactly the number of full-time students on this campus.
C. Evidence also shows that the younger the driver, the greater the risk.
1. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 16-year-olds have “the highest percentage of crashes involving speeding, the highest percentage of single-vehicle crashes, and the highest percentage of crashes with driver error.”
2. USA Today reports that 16-year-olds are three times