Teen Drivers Getting in Fewer Accidents in Massachusetts

State officials say the number of accidents involving newly licensed teenage drivers has dropped by half since 2007 when Massachusetts boosted the amount of training required of young drivers and stiffened penalties for traffic infractions.

Drivers age 16 and 17 were involved in more than 6,400 reported crashes last year, compared with 12,673 in 2006, according to figures from the state Transportation Department.

The 2007 law, among other requirements, more than tripled the number of hours teens must spend driving under parental supervision to 40 hours, doubled the time with an instructor behind the wheel to 12 hours.

The Boston Globe reports that that drop in the number of accidents may also be because the number of 16- and 17-year-olds with a Massachusetts driver’s license has plunged by one-fourth since 2006.