According to statistics cited by Sarah Meyer (of the Indiana BMV) in testimony before an Indiana General Assembly Committee, teens who have taken driver’s education classes are involved in more accidents that those who haven’t. Meyer did mention that the results could be skewed by the fact that teens who complete a formal driver’s education course can be licensed earlier than those who haven’t. This was my first thought when I saw this article. I couldn’t find the study online, so I can’t see if they looked into this possibility. I’d like to examine a study that takes this into account. The committee was also to hear testimony that the standards for teen drivers need to be tightened, and that teens tend to imitate the dangerous driving of the adults they see.

Recommended reading: