Is there a better alternative to using legal age limits to "protect" young individuals?

Question

People mature at different rates. It doesn't make sense to arbitrarily set an age below which certain activities are prohibited. Furthermore, it is difficult to justify different age limits for different activities; for example, the difference between the drinking age, voting age, driving age, etc. Suppose a 15 year-old can pass the driving test, doesn't that mean all the skills necessary to handle a vehicle safely are present, regardless of age?

I'm not saying we would be better off without any age limits, "The status quo, if not optimal, is at least viable"; I'm asking if there is a better alternative.

Answer 1

No,there is no better alternative. Without set ages for certain rights,the country would be in kaos. Who would be the one to say whether a person was of the right maturity to obtain certain rights? If the parents said their child was "mature",would they be permitted to drink when they were 12? Not having an age limit for rights does not make any sense at all.

Answer 2

In the process of human development, certain biological functions take place at certain ages. Certain physiological maturity takes place...

A 15 year old, no matter his driving skill, does not have the maturity to make decisions about driving that are necessary. His brain is still developing and he lacks certain skills that a fully developed brain and nervous system would have.

Like every other animal, human beings mature at a certain rate. It has nothing to do with being smart or skilled as a driver, or anything else.

You have to wait until you are a fully-formed adult before you can take on adult tasks.

Answer 3

Age restrictions must be uniform in order to conform with the principle of equality in the Constitution.

Answer 4

More parental control and responsibility would help a lot.