IELTS GT Task 2: Your feedback will be appreciated

Some people think that the best way to increase road safety is to increase the minimum legal age, for driving cars or riding motorbikes. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

It is commonly believed that increasing the minimum driving age is the most effective solution for road safety. I completely disagree with this view because the main reasons of road casualties are poor condition of roads and a lack of knowledge.

Having a minimum legal age for drivers will not prevent road accidents. This is because many countries have a higher minimum age but still facing the issue of road safety. Poor conditions of motorways and highways is one of the primary reasons for accidents. Therefore, governments should focus on improving dilapidated highways and motorways rather than increasing the legal age for driving. Traffic police in Japan, for example, increased the legal age of driving from 17 to 19 in 2010. However, casualties on roads have not decreased since then because most of the main roads are in wretched conditions there.

Another reason of tragedies on roads is that most drivers are not aware about driving rules and regulations. That is to say that they do not know how to follow the rules on roads, such as maintaining a reasonable following distance, wearing seat belts and avoiding speeding. Thus, it is necessary to educate people about rules pertaining to driving instead of enhancing the minimum driving age. The minimum age of driving cars and motorcycles in the USA, for instance, is just 16 but they have strict rules and regulations. As a result, a number of road accidents in this country is the lowest in the region.

In conclusion, a minimum driving age will not solve the problem of road casualties because it can be effectively solved by educating drivers about the safety rules and improving poor roads infrastructure.