Teen crash risk is much higher at night – according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the fatal crash risk for 16-year-olds is nearly twice as high at night.
That’s why Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) systems include a restriction on driving at night. Science shows these restrictions work, and nighttime restrictions are the most widely implemented feature of GDL – only two states have no restriction in place.
The National Safety Council recommends drivers under the age of 18 stay off the road beginning no later than 10 p.m. and ending no earlier than 5 a.m.
When setting a nighttime restriction for your teen driver, first consider your state law. You may feel the law isn’t enough, so set a restriction with which you are comfortable.