Teenage drivers are eight times more likely to crash or have a close call in the first three months after getting a license than during the final three months on a learner’s permit, finds a new study in the Journal of Adolescent Health.
Researchers for the first time tracked individual teenagers and a comparison group of experienced adults from the year before to the year after the teenagers moved from learner’s permits to full driver’s licenses. They used motion trackers that recorded crashes, sudden acceleration or braking, hard turns, or swerves, in addition to videos of each driver and his or her environment.
While teenagers and the comparison adults were equally safe at the time teenagers got their licenses, afterward, the study found teenagers’ risky behavior shot up. Video data showed teenagers had fewer accidents during dark or rainy driving conditions than on clear days; researchers said new drivers may have been more cautious in bad conditions.
