Americans Would Like to Raise the Driving Age, and Lower the Drinking Age

How do you feel about the current age restrictions for things like driving, drinking, voting, and seeing an R-rated movie?

A new poll looked at the age requirements of various things, and it found that a majority of Americans would RAISE the driving age above 16.

52% of Americans say you should have to be OLDER than 16 to be allowed to drive.  And the age group that agrees the most is:  18- to 29-year-olds.  58% of them say 16 is too young to drive.

Most Americans (54%) also support a MAXIMUM driving age.  10% of people would make the cut-off 90 years old, 21% would make the cut-off 80, and 23% would pick an age YOUNGER than 80.

Not surprisingly, Boomers were the LEAST LIKELY to want a maximum driving age.

Americans are divided over the drinking age.   47% say it’s cool as-is, at 21, 41% think it should be “younger than 21, or no minimum”, and 12% of people say it should be OLDER than 21.

Interestingly, 18- to 29-year-olds were much more likely to say it should be “younger than 21”, AND “older than 21.”

As for other age limits, America largely agrees with the current restrictions for R-rated movies, marriage, pornography, gambling, and voting.

But around 10% of Americans think people should be OLDER than 21 before they can get married, watch porn, and gamble legally.

And 22% believe you should be able to get married YOUNGER than 17, 17% think you should be able to watch pornography before you’re 17, 9% say you should be able to gamble legally before you’re 17, and 25% think you should be able to vote before you’re 18.

 

(YouGov / YouGov)