New Study Shows Graduated License Reduces Teen Car Accident Injury

A recent study conducted at the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill has found that graduated licenses do indeed reduce the number of injuries and car accidents caused by teen driving mistakes. The findings of the new study were published in the journal Accident Analysis and Prevention's May issue.

The study found that teens that are slowly given more rights when driving were 31 percent less likely to be injured than those teens who were allowed all driving privileges right away.  Many states already have some form of graduated  license programs, though  many do not yet include cell phone restrictions. This recent study relied on three major sources for information: the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), the Nationwide Personal Transportation Survey and the General Estimates System.

In the study, which focused on 16-year-olds with new driver's licenses, restricted the following activities:

· Cell phone use

· Night time driving

· Driving with passengers in the car