Pros and cons of getting a car at a younger age

In most countries of the world, once a person is 16, they are permitted to drive a car. However, not everybody sees eye to eye about young people driving cars. Some believe that young people are too immature to handle the freedom that comes with driving a car or to even have the trusted ability to drive, whereas others have no problem with young people driving a car. Here are some of the pros and cons of getting and driving a car at a younger age:

Pros
It fosters increased responsibility
Everyone who owns a car has some basic level of responsibility when handling it. They are responsible for their safety as well as that of others. As such, they will be more careful when they are driving their cars. Because of the responsibility the ownership of a car has plans upon them, they will be more sensitive and obedient to traffic rules, they will respect the laws of the land, they will recognize road authorities, etc. As such, if young people drive too, the same rules apply to them and the same level of responsibility is demanded of them. Young people can also carry this sense of responsibility into other areas of their life and perform better overall as an individual in society.

More efficiency at what they do
We live in an age where most young persons are no longer wholly dependent on their parents for their lives to make meaning. They are stepping into the marketplaces and putting their value out for all to see. Some are pioneering great changes, while others are building businesses. Movement from one place to the other is compulsory for most of them. You can imagine how tiring it will be to be jumping buses now and then. But with a car, transportation is less stressful; young people can reserve their energy for better things and equally function at their best when need be.

It opens their minds to possibilities
In societies where getting a car is considered a luxury even by older adults, it becomes a motivating push for young people to break more grounds and get the ball rolling at a young age when they get a car. They are inspired to work diligently, put in their best and strive to provide for themselves. In societies where getting a car is considered a necessity, young people who own a car are motivated to work harder to own other necessities such as a house, office space, real estate investments, etc. that make living easier and more enjoyable.

Cons
A dangerously increased sense of entitlement
Young people who got their cars as gifts tend to feel entitled to higher things without working for it. Some of them may begin to underrate the essence of working to achieve your dreams and put the responsibility on others to see to all they want. This is very dangerous to both the young person, the family of such a person and the society at large. Such young people who feel entitled without working may turn into thieves or resort to frauding schemes to get money to sponsor their wants since those whom they feel entitled towards can no longer provide for them. Some even become bitter about it and they retaliate by injuring the person in question or those around them.

A pattern of misbehaving
Some young people who own cars have a knack for misbehaving because of their cars. This set of young people become haughty and stiff to correction. They begin to see themselves on a par with older people in society and may demand undue respect. This type of behaviour often leads to clashes with different individuals in various settings; in social gatherings, public parks, religious gatherings, etc. Sometimes, young people in this category may also ridicule their mates who are yet to drive a car.

High possibilities of danger on the roads
Unlike adults who are most thoughtful in what they do including driving, some young people are careless with their lives. They recklessly do their things including driving. It is no hidden knowledge that reckless drivers are poison to other drivers on the road; the aftermaths are always bitter: fatal accidents, casualties, destroyed properties, wrecked cars, etc. This is why some older adults think that young people should not drive. It is believed that younger people have a higher risk to crash a car compared to older people. Hence, if you are getting a car for your child, it would be in your interest and that of the child to first orientate them properly about the dangers on the road and importance of being very careful always.