11th Grade Timed Essay

[Shelly in VA]

Can anyone give some feedback on my 11th grade dd's essay? I am having her practice for the SAT essay by writing 2-3 timed essays each week. The topic question was on whether or not elderly drivers should have to reapply for their driver's licenses. Thank you!!

 

Elderly Drivers

 

Some people believe that elderly drivers should have to reapply for their driver's license, for with age comes a loss of hearing, a decrease in vision, and a slowing of reaction time. However, it is true that these drivers have a significant amount of knowledge and good judgment skills which they have acquired from years on the road. Regardless of this, I believe that their driving experience cannot make up for the age-related losses of such key components of driving as sight, hearing, and reaction time.

 

Consider for a moment the reasons for which tests are administered to teenagers before they receive their driver's license. They are tested on the rules of the road. Generally, if elderly people have been driving for a fairly considerable amount of time - which is highly likely - they will still recall driving laws.

 

However, rules of the road are only a part of what drivers need to safely navigate roads. They also must be able to react to everything around them. To adequately fulfill this requirement, they must be able to accurately judge distance, pay attention to unusual noises, and quickly change speed and direction, often with very little time to think.

 

Elderly drivers should have to reapply for their license, because the skills needed for safe driving require a quick reaction time, good vision, and good hearing. Certainly the elderly can drive safely in some cases, but it would be wise to enforce a law by which they had to retest for their license. Age can hamper certain abilities; when public safety is at stake, it is a creditable choice to err on the side of caution.