NIGHT DRIVING RESTRICTIONS FOR YOUTHFUL DRIVERS - A LITERATURE-REVIEWAND COMMENTARY

The research literature on night driving curfews is reviewed. Driving at night involves high risk, particularly for young beginners. Althoug h only about Ig percent of the total miles of 16-17-year-old drivers o ccur between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m., about 40 percent of their fatal crashe s take place during these hours. Curfews that limit recreational drivi ng at night without an adult have been found to substantially reduce n ighttime crashes. Parents of teenagers strongly endorse curfews and fa vor earlier starting times than prevail in most jurisdictions with cur fews. A night driving curfew is an essential component of graduated li censing, a system that phases in young beginners to full-privilege lic ensure, limiting initial driving to lower-risk situations.