15 too young to drive, says brain expert

Teenage drivers could be getting their licence and climbing behind the wheel up to a decade before their brains are equal to the task.

Dr Robert Isler, a senior lecturer in psychology at Waikato University, said yesterday that the frontal lobes of 15-year-olds' brains were not fully developed, and as a result many struggled to recognise and react to hazards and took extra risks.

Dr Isler said New Zealand's driving age of 15 was out of step with other countries, where 17 or 18 was the norm.

"I think it's much too young. We don't give them the vote until they are 18 because we think they are not ready to have good judgment. But we allow them to drive solo at 15 and we think they will make good decisions, but often they don't."

That was because the frontal lobe - responsible for skills such as judgment, self-control and the ability to plan - did not fully develop until a person was 25.

It could take a 15-year-old up to 30 per cent longer than an experienced driver to respond to problems on the road. For the first six months of driving unsupervised on a restricted licence, a 15-year-old was 19 times more at risk of a mishap than a 25- year-old with driving experience.

"Young people learn car-control skills very quickly. Within 15 hours they can steer quite well. They get a higher sense of confidence than they should have and so they drive faster and it is not good for risk-taking behaviour."

Dr Isler said he believed 17 was a more suitable age to learn to drive, with learners supervised for at least a year.

Together with AA Driver Education Foundation, he is studying young drivers to see whether training helps with skills such as dealing with hazards.

Professor Michael Corballis, of Auckland University's psychology department, agreed brain development could have some impact on a 15-year-old's ability to drive safely.

"The frontal lobe does develop later relative to other parts of the brain, and is involved in things like judgment and social and executive skills - such as not being impetuous - and self-control.

"So 15-year-olds are capable of driving in terms of motor skills and vision, but whether they're capable of driving responsibly is the question."

The study comes as debate continues over New Zealand's driving age.

A Herald-DigiPoll survey in December showed respondents favoured raising the age from 15, with 52 per cent believing people should be 18 before driving and 27 per cent recommending 17.

About 60,000 young people learn to drive each year, and Dr Isler said the study would test whether intensive training would reduce the risk.

Are 15-year-olds mature enough to drive?
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