The Children's Safety Network recently highlighted new research on teen driver's permits and the effects two of the restrictions had on reducing motor vehicle crashed: the minimum permit duration, and the required minimum hours of supervised driving. Permit duration of six months was associated with significant declines in 16-17-year-old drivers’ fatal crash rates. A broader meta-analysis also found the permit duration is associated with a significant decline in teen drivers’ fatal crash rates. In Colorado, our permit length is a minimum of 12 months, exceeding these recommendations.
However, required hours of supervised practice driving were not associated with a decline in teen drivers’ fatal crash rates. In Colorado, we require a minimum of 50 hours of logged and supervised practice time for a permitted driver. What are your thoughts about why the supervised practice time didn't seem to have as strong of an effect?
