Changing the legal driving age from 18 to 21 years is one suggestion being contemplated by Assistant Superintendent of Police Rodney Ellis in the wake of numerous traffic collisions, sometimes on a daily basis, and four fatalities to date.
Ellis, Head of the Traffic Department, admits that he was opposed to this suggestion, at first; but he now thinks it might be a good idea.
He says that speeding plays a major factor in most of these accidents, adding that persons who recently obtained their license should not be driving fast.
According to Ellis, motorists between the ages of 18 and 25 are the ones involved in the more serious collisions.
In the meantime, Ellis says the Traffic Department will continue its public-education drive on road safety in an attempt to reduce the number of daily collisions. (REAL NEWS)
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Who vets these public utterances for these people. More square pegs in round holes. You can’t just suddenly change the legal driving age to 21. Even if you do so there are still hundreds or maybe even thousand of persons out there who would still be holders of a drivers license between the age of 18 and 20. What you gonna tell them that they no longer can possess a valid drivers license? How then will you adequately support a legislation that tells that age range who not yet have a license that they have to wait until 21. It’s not like changing the age of drinking. What you should be doing is seeking to improve the competency of road users and drivers. Make it more rigid to obtain a drivers license. Change the method of the test. Introduce a strike system. Be more innovative Mr. Ellis.
HAVE A POINT: …SMACK OF STUPIDITY:
My friend, you do have a point.
‘ANR’ has been ‘…CRUEL’ to ‘…ASP Ellis.’
Then again, ‘ANR’ publishes what may have been said.
WHY?
ANR is quoting him as saying that most of the ‘…Serious Collisions’ have been attributed to drivers between ‘…18 and 25 years’ [Paragraph 4].
TIME SPAN:
That grouping suggests a ‘…7 year-span.’
NOW: ‘…Take the age to 21.’
This now reduces the ‘…Time Span to 4 years.’
Anyone that thinks this way, makes the idea sound ‘…SMACK OF STUPIDITY.’
QUESTIONS:
(i) ‘…Does the anyone know what is likely to happen then?
(ii) ‘…Would there be less serious collisions?
(iii) ‘…Should future drivers be penalized for the ‘MANNER’ in which today’s ’18 to 25
Driver drive?’
One day, they’ll realize it’s not the age of the drivers that pose a problem. It’s the lack of police patrolling 24hrs. That is the outright problem.
True , with more photo radars and fines lets move into the 21st use tech and more tow trucks.
Perhaps you should take the place of the officer….. The statistics has not show that most accident victims are between the age of 18 & 21…… Its time for the police to get up off their rears and make their presence be felt.
In a way I agree, because some new drivers equates speeding as a driving skill, however, they just can’t react quickly enough in an emergency situation.
This could be a warning that the age requirement will be risen in the not too distant future.
Something more drastic needs to be done nowadays, drivers have been ignoring the government’s road safety issues for far too long now and innocent people continue to lose their lives …
It is actually mind-boggling that you would actually agree with the ASP making taking a stand like this.
Not just in Antigua but it is more or less and international situation where more accidents involve that age group from 18-25 years and in particular male drivers. Hence the reason why the insurance companies usually charge a heavy price for that age group. That age group is also been known to have a higer percentage of the prison population.
However, the suggested action really is really draconian and it really speaks to the quality of communication that comes out of the Police “Force”. I am really of the view that the word ‘Force’ should be changed from our Police body and perhaps replaced with ‘Agency, Dept, etc’.
Now let us look at the impact of the age increase. By the age of 21, some persons may be running their own business, might need a drivers license to secure employment, might have travelled to another country for university and for countless reasons – need a drivers license.
Are you saying we should deprive our young people of starting life until they are 21?
Your name is suggestive that you might be living in England and if so, are you aware that the youngest COMMERCIAL pilot in England is 18? Any yet, you want to agree that the age to drive a car in Antigua should be 21?
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/10740473/uk-teenager-youngest-commercial-airline-pilot/
Are you aware the one of the side effects of such action will result in more un-licensed drivers on the road? Did the ASP even consider the inadequate public transportation in Antigua?
Usually a good place to start is training. We perhaps could use the model from some States where young drivers must take a defensive driving course before getting a drivers license.
But to take an action, as suggested by the ASP, would really be devastating. Based on this article and another recent article by the same officer, I think his suggestions should be vetted before releasing to the public.
Yet, the age of consent, remains at 16 years..🤔🥥🥥🥥🥭🥭🥭🤔🤔…The Days Of Our Lives, will return after this Emergency Press Conference, by Inspector “Pink-Panther,” head of the Traffic Dept.
Hey, a who tun de TV, r u kno, dat non-baddy, touch me TV, wen me a watch, fu me Soap an dem, said Grannie! Dis Ellis fu guarne goh rest he lazy backside, and goh put prapper monitoring, fines, patrols pan de road and dem And, me a talk bout, jay-walking to speeding!”
Yo granny, you know, one thing is certain, raising the age limit to 21 years, does not make any common, or logical sense, when the voting age remains at 18 years, the age of consent at 16 years and you probably can be legally employed at 14 years with parental consent. So, two 18 year old female/male, starts a family, have a child at 19 and have to work shifts, daycare, shopping, medical visits, Granny this thing being proposed, by Inspector Ellis, is in line with Inspector Gadjet and the Pink Panther.
Ellis, cum bettah than dis.
Imagine, a Cricketer making West Indies Test team at 17 years or a baseball player making the Majors at 19, and can’t drive a date or girl friend around! #Pure #Madness, the youths would say!
Please don’t do this.
One thing I noticed when I went abroad was how beneficial it was to have a low driving age. Teenagers could drive themselves to and from sports practice, music or theatre rehearsal, school, etc.. They could drive their siblings too, and in the process take an ease off the parents.
Age is not the problem. Fooly 21 year olds dey bout. Its the culture. Focus there.
The innocent should not suffer for the guilty!
Better traffic policing, radar equipment AND IMPOUNDING THE VEHICLES WITH A VERY HIGH RELEASE FEE WILL SEND A MESSAGE
ASP Ellis ….Your idea should be based on Statistics. Does the data show that most accidents are caused by drivers under the age of 21?
@ Ernest George…Exactly Ernest. Come better than that Ellis. Give us some data. Btw, we need the traffic lights to be replaced on the extremely busy round-a-bout on Factory Road by Sproogo Gas Station and also by Premier Beverages. The traffic lights cause a better flow of the traffic. Some people are still unsure of the right-of-way. Why they were removed in the first place? Enquiring minds would like to know.
I really don’t agree with you regarding the traffic light causing a better flow. A Sproogo, the line use to be way longer in the mornings. The flow is much better but persons just need to understand the rules of driving on a round-a-bout – you give way to traffic on the right. On a multilane roundabout you also have to under how to exit. But persons will get accustomed to it.
How about before you give drivers under the age of 21 a drivers license, you require them to go through intensive drivers education classes. I’m not talking about when someone teach them to drive on the road. I’m talking about class room settings teaching them the rules of the roads, etc. Also you could require that after they get their license, they can’t drive with other young passengers in the vehicle for a period of time. How about imposing stiffer fines for offenders which would mean that the police should be out and about to spot these acts. Their are so many ways of trying to deal with this situation and raising the driving age is definitely not solving any problem.
How about reducing the number of lamp posts inna Antigua ? Dat way when you fly off the road you get 1 more bite at the apple
Mr Ellis, how does changing the age to 21 make sense when most of the accidents according to you are between the ages of 18-25? So after 21 is not the same problem you having? Why not have police presence out on the streets more often to deter this behavior? Some things just really don’t make sense in this country.
Why not raise the age of consent to have sex? The system don’t want them to drive but they can sex?
So the ton a accidents in Antigua is from drivers below 21?
I disagree strongly with your comment ASP Ellis, but I would rather speak with you “cara a cara”. Perhaps it would worth the while if you conduct a study before you make further utterances in this regard.
While talking about pushing the driving age from 18 back to 21.Perhaps the Voting age should be pushed upwards from 18 to 21.Pushing the driving age to 21,what turns on that. Should all of those wishing join the Antigua and Barbuda Military and Police Force be 21 and upwards. Do you see where I am going with that Police Officer. You need to regroup as a Force and Traffic Department Head. Become more visible on the Highways and Secondary Roads around Antigua. That in my opinion is one of many reasons to control speeding and reckless driving on the Streets.It has not one damn thing to do with being 18. For Adults above 18 do drive fast and reckless,also.MORE POLICE TRAFFIC EQUIPMENTS ON THE STREETS,LIKE THOSE NEW MOTOR BIKES AND MORE TRAFFIC OFFICERS SHOULD BE FRONT CENTER AND BEHIND ON ALL MATTERS OF TRAFFIC.We should be looking for solutions to solve problems.Not always laying blame on others,low hanging fruit is not the norm.
Leave the youths alone. Get the old farts off the road. They are the problem. While you’re at it just go ahead and ban anyone over 200 lbs from being on the road, especially those with the monster bellies hanging all over the place.
@ SEKUNDA X. Are you planning to ban some Cabinet Ministers from driving? LOL
Mouth open and stupidity jump out. Then you will be charging lots of young people for driving without license. Hey what is the age one has to be to become a police? What is the legal age to vote . Well the government that join with you and pass that law will surely loose Electrican. Barbadas trying to get it right by saying they want an 18 year old senator. As someone said where are the statistics Ellis.Next thing how old or at what age should people stop drinking? I see people driving with Alzheimers and if it was not for privacy and family I would name a few good old citizens that got lost driving. Also please remind your police officers what is the age of consent not to dive -SEX.
Mouth open and stupidity jump out. Then you will be charging lots of young people for driving without license. Hey what is the age one has to be to become a police? What is the legal age to vote . Well the government that join with you and pass that law will surely loose Electrican. Barbadas trying to get it right by saying they want an 18 year old senator. As someone said where are the statistics Ellis.Next thing how old or at what age should people stop driving ? I see people driving with Alzheimers and if it was not for privacy and family I would name a few good old citizens that got lost driving. Also please remind your police officers what is the age of consent not to dive -SEX.
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