Biomed Radio - Washington University School Of Medicine In St. Louis

State laws designed to help teens gradually ease into full driving privileges may have an unintended benefit: They appear to lower rates of teen alcohol consumption and binge drinking. Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found that in states with stricter graduated driver licensing laws, there not only is less drinking and driving among teens, there also is less total alcohol consumption by teenagers. MANY STATES HAVE ADOPED LAWS IN RECENT YEARS THAT ARE DESIGNED TO MAKE THE ROADS SAFER BY ALLOWING TEEN DRIVERS TO GRADUALLY EASE IN TO FULL DRIVING PRIVILEGES. BUT NEW RESEARCH FROM WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE IN ST. LOUIS FINDS THAT THOSE LAWS ALSO APPEAR TO BE HAVING AN UNINTENDED EFFECT: THEY APPEAR TO BE HELPING LOWER THE RATES OF TEEN ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION AND BINGE DRINKING. JIM DRYDEN REPORTS … SO-CALLED GRADUATED DRIVER LICENSING LAWS, OR GDLs, MIGHT RESTRICT THE NUMBER OF PASSENGERS A NEW DRIVER CAN HAVE IN THE CAR AT ONE TIME. SOME LAWS ALSO KEEP YOU