Let's+Practice

=**Information for writing the persuasive essay**=
 * Now practice. DO NOT use "I" or "you"**

1) Write a [|thesis statement]

2) Develop a paragraph with support for your thesis. Many people don't realize that it's the older drivers that have most accidents (News & Record). "Teens who are older when they begin driving have lower crash rates than 16-year-olds who get behind the wheel" (News & Record) Recent research shows that teens have fewer accidents when "the driving age is raised," said Sen. Jim McCain.
 * Use one example of **parenthetical notation**:
 * One example of a **direct quote**
 * or** ''It depends on who their friends are," said David Leung, owner of D&D Auto School.
 * One example of a **partial quote**-

Remember, a quote can be someone's spoken words or you can quote from an article. Either way, you must explain where the information is from. 3) End paragraph with a strong statement of belief.

For:
News & Record Copyright (C) 2008 News & Record and Landmark Communications, Inc.

A review of 11 studies concerning traffic rates and ages of new drivers determined that age was the deciding factor: Teens who are older when they begin driving have lower crash rates than 16-year-olds who get behind the wheel.

For example, the Australian state of Victoria decided to keep its driving age of 18 after researchers estimated that lowering the driving age to 17 or 16 would result in hundreds of additional crashes, even if a graduated license program were adopted.

"Studies have shown that states have fewer accidents when the driving age is raised," said Senator Jim McClain, speaking to a group of parents. "We can't keep killing our children."

Indeed, many other countries are not as lenient as the United States when it comes to driving. The United Kingdom requires drivers to be 17. Brazil, China, Russia and most European Union nations make 18 the age for first drivers.

Research has shown that 16-year-olds are involved in crashes at a rate almost 10 times as high as those between the ages of 30 and 59.

Against:
''The focus on the bill ought to be on improving experience behind the wheel," said state Representative Karyn E. Polito, a Shrewsbury Republican, who said she was skeptical but would consider the age change.

Parent Bob Hill said raising the driving age could penalize some families in which teens need to drive to work.

''Not every parent is going to be able to take their kids to a job. Now you're going to take away their right to go to that job," he said.

Some driving educators interviewed opposed the proposal or were skeptical about it.

''Raising the age is the wrong thing. I see kids at 16 years old. . . most of them, they can drive fine," said David Leung, owner of D&D Auto School, which runs driver's education programs for high school students in Boston, Quincy, and Randolph.

He said irresponsible driving is caused more often by peers rather than age. ''It depends on who their friends are," Leung said.

Most accidents occur by older drivers, such as those over 80. Younger drivers' accidents are often caused by being distracted. This could be changed by limiting the distractions in the car for teens (cell phone use or number of teens allowed in the car).