Sample Persuasive Speech
Summary
TLDRThe speaker recounts a tragic car accident involving a 16-year-old driver and his friends, resulting in deaths and life-altering injuries. Using this story, the speaker highlights the dangers of teenage driving, citing statistics and research showing the high rate of accidents among young drivers due to inexperience, brain development, and risk-taking behavior. The speaker proposes raising the driving age to 18, restricting nighttime driving, and limiting passengers for young drivers as effective ways to reduce fatalities and improve road safety.
Takeaways
- 🚗 The story begins with a tragic car accident involving four teenagers returning from a concert, resulting in the deaths of two, including the driver.
- 📉 Teenage drivers, although making up only 7% of licensed drivers, account for 14% of motor vehicle fatalities in the U.S.
- 🧠 Research shows that the brain of an average 16-year-old is not fully developed to effectively assess risks, contributing to reckless driving behavior.
- ⚠️ 16-year-olds are three times more likely to be involved in fatal crashes compared to older drivers, with speeding and driver error being common causes.
- 🌙 Night driving significantly increases the risk of accidents for inexperienced teenage drivers, especially after dark.
- 👥 The presence of teenage passengers in the car increases the likelihood of accidents. One passenger doubles the risk, while multiple passengers increase it fivefold.
- 🕰️ The speaker suggests raising the age for full driving privileges to 18 to allow for better brain development and more driving experience.
- 🌃 Restricting night driving for teenagers until age 18, with curfews around 9-10 p.m., is recommended to reduce accidents.
- 👫 Limiting the number of teenage passengers in cars driven by young drivers is suggested to reduce distractions and accidents.
- 🏫 The speaker concludes by emphasizing the importance of stricter driving laws for teenagers to prevent accidents and save lives, sharing the personal impact of the tragedy on his nephew.
Q & A
What was the cause of the accident involving the speaker's nephew?
-The accident was caused by the 16-year-old driver losing control of the car while driving too fast.
How did the speaker's nephew's life change after the accident?
-The speaker's nephew is now finishing high school in a wheelchair, which he will occupy for the rest of his life.
What percentage of licensed drivers are teenagers, according to the script?
-Teenagers make up 7% of the nation's licensed drivers.
What percentage of all motor vehicle fatalities are attributed to teenagers?
-Teenagers represent 14% of all motor vehicle fatalities.
How many drivers aged 16 to 20 were killed in automobile accidents the previous year according to the script?
-3,657 drivers aged 16 to 20 were killed in automobile accidents.
What is one of the major causes of problems associated with teenage driving mentioned in the script?
-One of the major causes is inexperience, as new drivers haven't had enough time on the road to develop their driving skills.
What does brain research from the National Institute of Mental Health reveal about teenage drivers?
-The brain of an average 16-year-old has not developed enough to effectively judge the risk of a given situation.
According to the Washington Post, when does the likelihood of having an accident increase for 16-year-olds?
-The likelihood of having an accident increases several times over when 16-year-olds drive after dark.
What is the impact of teenage passengers in the car on the risk of a fatal crash?
-One teenage passenger doubles the risk of a fatal crash, and with two or more passengers, the risk is five times greater.
What is the first step the speaker suggests in creating a national policy to reduce teenage driving accidents?
-The first step is to ensure no one can receive a learner's permit until age 16 and full driving privileges until age 18.
What is the optimal policy for passenger restrictions suggested by Kevin Quinland from the National Transportation Safety Board?
-The optimal policy would be to bar drivers aged 17 or younger from having any passengers in the car unless the riders are adults or family members. Drivers from the age of 17 to 18 should not be allowed to carry more than one teenage passenger.
Outlines
🚗 The Tragedy of Teenage Driving Accidents
The paragraph recounts a tragic accident involving a Ford Explorer with teenage passengers, highlighting the commonality of such incidents. It emphasizes the importance of addressing the issue of teenage driving safety. The narrator shares personal experience with a nephew injured in a similar accident, advocating for raising the driving age to 18. Statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) are cited, showing teenagers' disproportionate involvement in fatal accidents. The paragraph also discusses the higher risk associated with younger drivers, as reported by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, and the role of inexperience and immature brain development in causing accidents.
🌙 Addressing the Causes of Teen Driving Fatalities
This paragraph delves into specific causes of teenage driving fatalities, such as night driving and the presence of teenage passengers, which increase the risk of accidents. It suggests policy changes, including raising the learner's permit age to 16 and full driving privileges to 18, restricting nighttime driving, and limiting the number of teenage passengers. The paragraph cites research and expert opinions to support these recommendations, emphasizing the potential for saving lives. It concludes with a poignant reminder of the human cost of not acting, using the narrator's nephew's story to underscore the urgency of implementing these measures.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Teenage driving accidents
💡Inexperience
💡Brain development
💡Speeding
💡Night driving
💡Passenger distractions
💡Fatalities
💡Full driving privileges
💡Graduated driver licensing (GDL)
💡Preventative measures
Highlights
A tragic car accident involving four teenage friends resulted in two deaths, including the driver, and left one passenger permanently paralyzed.
Teenage drivers are at higher risk of accidents due to inexperience, lack of full brain development, and risky behaviors.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, teenagers account for 7% of licensed drivers but 14% of all motor vehicle fatalities.
In the previous year, 3,657 drivers aged 16-20 were killed in car accidents, along with 2,384 teenage passengers and 2,625 people aged 21 or older.
Research from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety shows that 16-year-olds have the highest percentage of crashes involving speeding, driver error, and single-vehicle accidents.
16-year-olds are three times more likely to be involved in fatal crashes than older drivers, according to USA Today.
Inexperience is a major cause of accidents among teenage drivers, but even raising the driving age won't eliminate the risk entirely.
Brain research shows that a 16-year-old's brain is not fully developed, particularly in areas related to assessing risk and decision-making.
Steven Lowenstein’s study reveals that risk-taking and aggressive driving are prevalent among 16-year-olds, increasing accident risks.
Night driving significantly increases the risk for teenage drivers, especially when combined with their inexperience and reduced ability to judge risks.
The presence of teenage passengers increases the likelihood of fatal crashes; having two or more passengers multiplies this risk by five.
The speaker proposes raising the age for full driving privileges to 18, allowing teenagers more time to develop their driving skills and brain maturity.
Nighttime driving should be restricted for drivers under 18, with curfews set at 9 p.m. or 10 p.m. to reduce risk.
Teenage drivers should not be allowed to carry multiple passengers, with restrictions limiting them to one teenage passenger or only adult/family members.
The speaker emphasizes that while these solutions may seem harsh or inconvenient, they would save many lives and prevent tragic accidents like the one that left his nephew paralyzed.
Transcripts
on a chilly November night two years ago
a Ford Explorer was charging down a
California highway the 16-year-old
driver and three of his friends were
returning from a concert in Los Angeles
these young people were good students
gifted athletes talented artists and
musicians and none were drunk or
impaired by drugs they were however
driving to too fast and the driver lost
control of the car the car went into a
ditch and hit a
tree the driver and one passenger were
killed the other two passengers escaped
with severe
injuries one of these passengers was my
nephew today he is finishing High School
in a wheelchair a wheelchair he will
occupy for the rest of his life
unfortunately tragic auto accidents
involving teenage drivers are much too
common in all parts of the United States
after researching the subject for my
speech I have come to the same
conclusion as the experts that the best
way to prevent such accidents is to
raise the age for full driving
privileges to 18 or older I know from my
audience analysis questionnaire that
most of you oppose such a plan but I
also know from my questionnaire that
most of you recognize that 16 and
17-year-old drivers are less skilled and
less responsible than older drivers so I
ask you to listen with an open mind
while we discuss some of the problems
associated with teenage
driving some of the major causes of the
problems and a plan that will go a long
way towards solving some of the
problems no matter how one looks at the
evidence It All Leads to one fact there
are too many motor vehicle accidents
deaths and injuries involving teenage
drivers
according to the national highway
traffic safety administration while
teenagers make up 7% of the nation's
licensed drivers they represent 14% of
all motor vehicle
fatalities the nhtsa reports that last
year
3,657 drivers aged 16 to 20 were killed
in automobile
accidents in addition to killing the
drivers these same accidents took the
lives of
2,384 teenage
passengers but these accidents didn't
affect teenagers
alone they also took the lives of
2,625 people aged 21 or older so the
total number of people killed last year
in automobile accidents involving
teenage drivers
was
8,666
almost exactly the number of full-time
students at this
campus evidence also shows that the
younger the driver the greater the risk
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 involving driver
error moreover as USA Today reports
16-year-olds are three times more likely
to be involved in fatal crashes than our
older drivers now that we've seen the
extent of the problem we can explore its
causes one of the causes is an
experience new drivers just haven't had
enough time on the road to develop their
driving skills but inexperience is far
from the only cause of the problem after
all there will always be inexperienced
drivers even if the driving age is
raised to 21 or even to
25 a second cause is revealed by brain
research findings from the National
Institute of Mental Health show that the
brain of an average 16-year-old has not
developed to the point where he or she
is able to effectively judge the risk of
a given
situation Dr jayge Who led the research
team that conducted the study States
when a smart talented very mature
does something that a parent might call
stupid it's this underdeveloped part of
the brain that has most likely failed
Steven Lowenstein a medical professor at
the University of Colorado has just
finished a five-year study comparing the
traffic records of 16-year-old drivers
to drivers aged 25 to 49 his conclusion
deliberate risk-taking and dangerous and
aggressive driving behaviors
predominated among the 16-year-olds
a third cause of Motor Vehicle
fatalities among teenage drivers is
night driving according to the
Washington Post when 16-year-olds get
behind the wheel of a car after dark the
likelihood of having an accident
increases several times over of course
nighttime driving is less safe for
everyone but it becomes particularly
dangerous when combined with a young
driver's inexperience and reduced
ability to gauge
risk finally
there is the presence of teenage
passengers in the car we all know what
it's like to drive with our friends the
stereo is up loud cell phones are
ringing everybody's laughing and having
a good time the problem is that all
these factors create distractions
distractions that too often result in
accidents injury and death Alan Williams
Chief scientist at the Insurance
Institute for Highway Safety reports
that one teenage passenger doubles the
risk of a fatal crash with two two or
more passengers the risk is five times
greater remember my nephew's accident I
mentioned at the start of my speech
there were three passengers in the
car so the extent of the problem is
clear so too are its causes what steps
can we take to help bring about a
solution first we need a national policy
that no one can receive a learner's
permit until age 16
and no one can receive full driving
privileges until age 18 this will allow
16-year-olds time to gain Driving
Experience before having an unrestricted
license and to reach a stage of brain
development where they are better able
to handle the risk and responsibility of
driving second we need to restrict
nighttime driving so as to keep younger
drivers off the road when conditions are
riskiest some states have tried to
address this problem by Banning
teenagers from driving after midnight or
1:00 a.m. but as the Insurance Institute
for Highway Safety reports these laws
don't go far enough according to the
Institute we need a 900 p.m. or 10 p.m.
limit until drivers reach the age of
18 third we need to restrict the number
of teenage passengers and cars driven by
younger drivers in fact says Kevin
quinland from the national
Transportation saf board passenger
restriction is the first and foremost
measure you can take to reduce teenage
driving fatalities according to quinland
the optimal policy would be to Bar
drivers aged 17 or younger from having
any passengers in the car unless the
Riders are adults or family members
drivers from the age of 17 to 18 should
not be allowed to carry more than one
teenage
passenger now I know all of this might
sound harsh and perhaps
inconvenient but the evidence is clear
that it would save a significant number
of
lives if you want to discuss harsh said
one father whose 17-year-old son died in
an accident 3 years ago I can talk to
you about harsh it's being awakened at
2:30 in the morning by the state patrol
telling you that your son has just been
killed everyone in this room has lived
to college age but this year alone
thousands of teenage drivers will not
live that long and they won't live that
long due to factors that we can
prevent there's no way to solve all the
problems we encounter on the road but we
can do something to help save the lives
of younger drivers and make the road
safer for all of us as I said earlier
this might sound harsh or inconvenient
but I know my nephew would gladly trade
both for the chance to walk
again
all
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