Maturity and rationalization have not yet been achieved or experienced by adolescents. In the age of technology there are several distractions to maneuver for drivers of any age. Parents can play an educational role by enrolling their children in a driver education program. Some states require students to complete a comprehensive Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) program before receiving their license. Brain function is still developing in adolescents and may prevent the rapid thought process needed to become a responsible driver. For the safety and well-being of teenagers, the required age for a driver's license in Arizona should be increased from 16 to 18. In the state of Arizona, adolescents who are 15 years and six months old are eligible to apply for a learner's permit. A written driving test on basic driving laws and rules is then taken. Upon passing, the new driver is given six months to drive a minimum of 30 hours daytime and 10 hours nighttime, with an authorized driver present. This allows teens to feel comfortable riding alongside a licensed driver before taking on the task of driving alone. After the six-month practice period, the teenager can take the portion of the driving test to obtain a driver's license. "The risk of accident is particularly high during the first months of authorization." (Teen drivers: factsheet 1) The need for increased driving practice and defensive driving is significant. Are 16-year-olds capable of understanding the responsibility and danger of getting behind the wheel? Although some adolescent students possess responsible habits, they may still face the danger of not being able to measure the consequences of taking a risk. Jay Giedd, head of brain imaging at the National Institute of Mental Health st...... mid article ......ww.2 fact.com/article/i1100500>“Teen Drivers: Fact Sheet ” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, October 2, 2012. Network. February 1, 2014Drivers/teendrivers_factsheet.html>“Better driver education will make young drivers safer.” Opposing Points of View: Automobiles in America. Ed. Andrea C. Nakaya. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2006. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Storm. Central Arizona College. February 1, 2014=OVRC&prodId=OVRC&userGroupName=cazc_main&tabID=T010&docId=EJ3010429225&type=retrieve&contentSet=GSRC&version=1.0>.Nienstedt, Andrea. “Distracted driving”. The Gale Encyclopedia of Public Health.Ed. Laurie J. Fundukian. vol. 1. Detroit: Gale, 2013. 251-256. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Network. February 1. 2014.