Teenage drivers are at a much higher risk for being involved in a car accident than any other age group.  In 2005, 4,544 teenagers 16 to 19 died of injuries caused by automobile accidents.  The risk of motor vehicle accidents is higher among 16 to 19 year olds than amoung any other age group.  In fact, per mile driven, teenage drivers ages 16 to 19 are four times more likely than older drivers to be involved in automobile accident.

In an effort to reduce the number of teenages involved in car accidents in Alabama, the Alabama House of Representatives just passed (House Bill 282) that puts new restrictions on 16 and 17 year old drivers.  This new bill would be a form of a graduated driver’s license program, which has been shown to reduce fatal crashes in 16 year old driver’s by 38%.  This new legislation calls for an 11 p.m. driving curvew on weekends and mandates that only one passenger can be in the car with these young drivers with restricted licenses. The bill also calls for an adult 21 or older to ride with 15 and 16 year olds with learner’s permits.  Hopefully, the Alabama Senate will pass this bill and the number of Alabama teens involved in car and truck accidents will decline.