And for 16 year-olds, all these problems are heightened. Immaturity and lack of driving experience are the main reasons. Compared with older drivers, teenagers as a group are more willing to take risks and less likely to use safety belts. They are also more likely than older drivers to underestimate the dangers associated with hazardous situations and less able to cope with such dangers. Beginning teenage drivers may get very little experience before they can obtain a license that lets them drive when and where they want.
Many states allow a quick and easy route through the learning phase.
Only 35 jurisdictions require a learner's permit, and only 23 of these require the permit to be held for a minimum period, ranging from 10 days to 1 year. Young drivers are less likely than adults to drive after drinking, but their crash risk is substantially higher when they do. Many states raised minimum alcohol purchasing ages from 18 or 19 years old to 21 during the 1980s. However, enforcement is needed to make these laws even more effective. Early research from states where this policy has been implemented, including states where zero is the legal alcohol limit for teenagers, indicates it might reduce teenagers' nighttime fatal crashes.