Driving proposal is strictest in US

The youngest drivers in Massachusetts already face more restrictions than teenagers in most states, under stricter licensing laws that swept across the country in the past decade and dramatically reduced the number of teens killed on the road.

But now, as Massachusetts legislators consider raising the legal driving age to 17 1/2 -- which would be the highest in the nation -- they are venturing into uncharted territory.

State legislatures have continued to tinker with driving restrictions for their youngest drivers, as grim scenes of mangled cars and bodies continue to haunt parents and lawmakers. But most states are passing other restrictions -- such as requiring teens to have an adult driver beside them until they are older, or limiting night driving for teenagers -- rather than making teenagers wait longer to get behind the wheel.

The Massachusetts proposal, still being drafted by the Joint Transportation Committee, would keep young drivers off the road until they are 16 1/2, when they could apply for a learner's permit. That is six months later than the current system allows.

The proposal also calls for extending the time that teenagers would be required to drive under a learner's permit from six months to one year. Drivers with learner's permits must be accompanied by a licensed driver who is at least 21.

It also would require teenagers to wait until they are at least 17 1/2 before receiving a junior operating license, rather than the current 16 1/2. Until they turn 18 and get a full license, as now, they would face higher penalties for some offenses such as speeding and drunken driving.

Although there are no studies about the effects of making drivers wait until they are 17 1/2 to drive alone, some specialists said yesterday that it is a surefire way to reduce fatalities. Fewer young drivers on the road means fewer deadly accidents, they say.

''If that were to pass as is, it's pretty inescapable that you're going to have fewer teen driver crashes," said Rob Foss, director of the Center for the Study of Young Drivers, affiliated with the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill.

Between 1993 and 2003, the years states began passing laws that required teenage drivers to first drive only while supervised by an adult and later with restrictions, the number of fatal crashes for 16-year-old drivers fell 26 percent -- even as the number of 16-year-olds increased 18 percent, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Specialists say the reasons are simple: fewer 16-year-olds are driving.

Still, motor vehicle crashes cause two in every five deaths among US teens, and the risk of crashes is higher among 16- to 19-year-olds than any other age group, according to federal statistics.

''There are two demons that we have to wrestle with in dealing with the teen driving problem: inexperience and immaturity," said Russ Rader, spokesman for the institute. ''Young drivers need time to develop driving skills and the judgment to counteract their lack of experience. Young drivers overestimate their skills and underestimate the risks of driving."

New Jersey makes teenagers wait the longest to apply for a driver's license: 17. Drivers can apply for learner's permits when they are 16. The state also has one of the lowest fatality rates in the country for 16-year-old drivers, said Jim Wright, a highway safety specialist at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

It has been rare for states to increase the age at which teenagers can get their learner's permits as Massachusetts lawmakers are proposing, said Justin McNaull, director of state relations for AAA. But many states have expanded the time the learner's permit lasts, he said.

''It's not so much to delay licensing as it is to ensure that there is an extended period of time for young people to learn to be safe drivers," he said.

If the bill passed, Massachusetts would require teenagers to drive longer with a learner's permit than in nearly every other state. In most states, a learner's permit lasts six months; a handful of states require a permit for a year, as the proposed bill would require.

''That's the real critical issue, when teens go from driving with an adult supervisor to driving without one," said Foss. ''Their crash rates skyrocket."

But the proposed bill in Massachusetts also would reduce the amount of time that teenagers drive with a junior operating license, which carries restrictions, including a prohibition from transporting anyone under 18 who is not a family member.

Now, if teenagers get their license as soon as possible, at age 16 1/2, they drive with the restricted license for a 1 1/2 years. Under the proposed changes, the restricted license would last six months.

Kathleen Burge can be reached at kburge@globe.com