Restricting nighttime and early morning teen driving and the number of passengers can reduce crash rates among young drivers by 20 percent. Researchers with the Traffic Injury Research Foundation in Ottawa, Canada, compared accidents involving 16-year-old drivers in Oregon and Ontario in 2002. Oregon limited unsupervised nighttime driving and the number of passengers while Ontario did not carry the prohibitions at the time.

Crashes involving injuries and deaths were 20 percent fewer among the teen drivers in Oregon, offering evidence that strong graduated drivers licensing (GDL) programs can make a difference. Traffic accidents kill about 6,000 motorists between the ages of 16 to 20 every year, making them the leading cause of death for teens. Safety experts say young drivers are more prone to crashes because they lack experience and driving skills.

States have enacted licensing laws that put limits on new drivers, but the rules vary from state to state and some are considered less stringent than others. Researchers said Oregon was representative of a state with strong GDL laws, while Ontario was considered to have much weaker laws. Oregon prohibits unsupervised driving between midnight and 5 a.m. for entry-level drivers and prevents drivers from having passengers under age 20 during the first six months of receiving a driver's license.

In a separate study, researchers conducted phone interviews with 1,000 teens and their parents in Oregon and British Columbia who had crashed and who had not crashed during their limited time behind the wheel. Researchers found that 30 percent of teens who had not been involved in a crash had never violated the passenger restrictions during the first six months of the intermediary stage, which has a minimum age of 16. Sixteen percent of teens who had crashed told the researchers they never violated the rules during the same period.

Obviously, the evening/early morning hours create more opportunities for our youngsters to confront others on the road who may have been out drinking. In addition, having too many friends in the car increases the likelihood that a young driver will be distracted. As parents and as lawyers, we have become aware of too many teen-driving fatalities that resulted from one moment of inattention or bad judgment. We hope that this information will encourage safer driving habits. While accidents will happen, actively involved parents can help their teenage drivers reduce the risk of being in harm's way. If you have questions or need assistance, please contact us online or call 407-244-1212 or Toll Free at 800-381-8299 for your Free Consultation now.