Older Teens Benefit Least From Driving Restrictions, Study Finds

Strict driver's license laws have lead to more fatal accidents among 18-year-olds

A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association has found that state restrictions for teen drivers are not beneficial for older teens. Older teen drivers are more likely to have fatal crashes in states with restrictions aimed at protecting young drivers.

States with the strictest restrictions experienced a lower rate of fatal crashes among 16-year-olds, but the rate was higher for 18-year-olds.

Researchers are not sure why this is happening but suggest that it may be a form of "payback" for the restrictions on younger drivers.

"There's an incentive right now to skip out and just wait until you're 18," said Scott Masten, the study's lead author. "In most states teens don't even need driver's education or driver training" if you obtain a license at 18.

Teens are waiting to drive in order to stay away from restrictions, but what this means is that they will have less experience than those who started driving younger. This study may change how strict some states may be with their laws from young drivers.