18-Year-Old Drivers Take More Risks Than 16-Year-Old Drivers

You freak out when your kid gets their license, because you just know they'll wreck that car in week one. But apparently they get comfortable and start taking more risks after a year or two.

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A new survey talked to high school sophomores who just got their license, and also juniors and seniors who've had theirs a while. The older kids admitted they actually take more risks behind the wheel.

18% of sophomores said they speed sometimes, compared to 23% of juniors and 35% of seniors. It's almost twice as common for 18-year-olds than it is for brand new drivers.

Driving with a bunch of people in the car can also cause a crash, because it's distracting. 31% of sophomores do it, compared to 35% of juniors and 47% of seniors.

13% of sophomores sometimes drive when they're feeling drowsy. 15% of juniors said yes to that one, and so did 26% of seniors.

Here's the big one: 49% of sophomores said they sometimes use their phone while driving. For juniors, it jumps to 58%. And for seniors, it's 67%.

Don't assume your kid is safe once they've been driving for six months or a year. And don't stop giving them driving lessons either. 40% of kids in the survey said their parents stopped as soon as they got their license.