Statistical Driving

A study was released showing that young (16) drivers with restrictions on driving (hours and number of people in the car) have fewer accidents--20% fewer in fact. I know I complained a bit about stats before, but here is another that lacks something...hmm, oh, I know, perspective. The comparison was between Oregon (strict laws) and Ontario (not so much) and OR teen drivers had 20% fewer crashes. Of course, not mentioned in the article, was whether that reduced the number of crashes because teen drivers were more careful, or because the rules mean that teen drivers drive fewer hours per day. Yes, a person can get into a car and drive 2 minutes and rear end someone, and someone can drive 2 hrs a day for years without ever being involved in an accident, and yes, overall, better drivers have fewer accidents, but the total amount of time will make a big difference, and if Ontario 16 year olds are driving 2-5 times more hours than in Oregon, then maybe the statistic indicates that teens in Ontario are better drivers.