Joyce Gallagher is proposing a higher age requirement for male drivers because of the high risk attached with male drivers aged 15 to 25 years old. According to Gallagher, the young male drivers are a threat to themselves and other people because of their risky behavior and immaturity. Likewise, there is a consideration that this range given may vary from one state to another but the estimate is at 15 or 16 years old.
With some statistics and numbers given based on the number of fatalities and accidents involving this age group of male drivers, Gallagher proposed that they should not be allowed to drive until they reach the 25 age requirement. She justifies this by treating other remedies as non-effective and provides large numbers of people who have been involved in the accident. Also, she used the idea of the public good to argue for the said age requirement. She concluded with the slogan that says “Guys Can’t Drive Till 25. ”
It is with much disagreement that all male drivers should be required to reach the age of 25 before being allowed to drive. There are some logical fallacies that may be seen from the arguments posed by Gallagher that render her proposals to be misleading yet convincing. First, Gallagher is not able to avoid committing the mistake of hasty generalization. This is the fallacy which considers only a small percentage of that sample or some rare instances where it occurs and generalizes for the whole population (“Hasty Generalization,” n. d. ).
For example, a tourist who visits a foregin country meets a person who steals his/her wallet while inside the public utility bus. When that person concludes that the country is a country of thieves, then the logical fallacy of hasty generalization is committed. What is actually lacking in the arguments of Gallagher is the information regarding the ratio of reckless male drivers and responsible male drivers from that age group.
According to an article entitled “Young male drivers – a danger to themselves and other at night,” the study UCL have done “identifies a dangerous minority of thrill-seeking young male drivers” in contrast to the majority of the group who has the skills and abilities to handle responsible driving (“Young male drivers,” 2005). There should be a closer look at the fact that though the majority of accidents may come from this minority, the fact remains that they are of relatively small number than the population.
Thus, they should not be taken as a whole especially if the basis for such is from a small number and even non-representative of the whole. Gallagher has immediately poisoned the well without even trying to differentiate between those who are not included with the allegations. Second, it is not safe to say that since there are accidents occuring despite the restrictions and efforts such as counselling, imposition of regulatory measures, education programs, and the like, these are not effective. It is not good to conclude that these programs can do nothing for the age group without clearly presenting why.
There must be reasons based on rational grounds and these work in one way or another especially so that the ones referred to are only a few of the many people who drives out in the streets within this age group. Third, it is not the age which is the cause of the accidents and should not be the one given restriction. This is where false cause comes in, which occurs “when an argument mistakenly attempt to establish a causal connection” (“False Cause,” n. d. ). In this regard, Gallagher has placed the cause of accidents towards the said age group of males.
However, it is not the age that causes this but is actually the factors of “inexperienced driving, a cavalier attitude to life, a night-time social life involving alcohol, and driving too fast” combined together, according to Andrew Howard, head of the Road Safety Division of AA Trusts. Let us take the experiences of a 34- and 48-year old male drivers who are invovled in a car accident. The 34-year old white male who is involved in a hit and run car accident because of alcohol and drug intoxication (The Villager, 2008).
The 48-year old male on the other hand is arrested for driving at a rate of 74 miles per hour in a 35-mile zone (The Villager, 2008). Though he did not meet any accident, he is still invovled in a traffic violation that could potentially bring harm to himself and others. This is to show that it is not the age that should be blamed but is the condition of the driver before the accident occurs. Even at the age of 35, one could still drink, live an active social life, and drive 90 miles per hour. This is a possibility that has not been considered.
It can be said that there are other factors that are to be considered aside from age that would cause the accidents that happen on the road. These factors are the ones which should be identified and be given emphasis once a license is issued. It could be the judgment of the driver which could be tested and the potential risk for driving while drunk. Likewise, it is highly recommended that concerned agencies would review the strict implementation of the rules and legislations regarding driving in relation to the factors that may be assessed related to accidents.
To obtain a clear list of factors that cause vehicular accidents aside from age, a critical look and a deeper analysis of the reported cases of car accidents in general, which means that this is not limited to a certain age group. Most likely, the list would include intoxication and this should be assessed without any bias to a certain group of people. It is best to make a review of the arguments made by Gallagher and some points are made above. Moreover, some recommendations are given in consideration of the arguments made against that of Gallagher. References “False cause. ” (n. d. ).
Retrieved 14 May 2008, from http://philosophy. lander. edu/scireas/false. html. “Hasty generalization. ” (n. d. ). Retrieved 14 May 2008, from http://philosophy. lander. edu/scireas/general. html. The Villager. (2008). News Blotter. Retrieved 14 May 2008, from http://www. hcnonline. com/site/news. cfm? newsid=19464812&BRD=1574&PAG=461&dept_id=636250&rfi=6. “Young male drivers – a danger to themselves and other at night. ” (2005). Retrieved 14 May 2008, from http://www. iam. org. uk/motoringtrust/news/archive/2005/youngmaledriversadangertothemselvesandothersatnight. htm.
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