Deaths Fall Amid Minnesota Teen Driving Restrictions

A law meant to prevent new drivers from dying on the roads seems to be working.

Five years after Minnesota put the restrictions on teenagers’ licenses, the Star Tribune reports the number of fatalities in crashes involving teen drivers has been cut in half.

The rules went into effect in 2008. They restrict new drivers from driving after midnight and limit the number of teenage passengers they can carry.

State data also show that injuries are down, too. The average rate of personal injury crashes involving 16- and 17-year-old drivers fell by nearly a third in the full four calendar years after the law’s start compared with the four previous years.

Officials praise the drop in deaths but say the restrictions could be stricter and enforcement could be stronger.