Legislators, law enforcement and safety officials have tried to reduce the number of deaths among teen drivers in Louisiana and elsewhere. Despite their success, a new study shows that the years-long decline in teen driver deaths may be over. The spike in teen driver deaths may be related to an improving economy and the effectiveness of graduated licensing laws created to reduce teen car accidents.

According to a recent report issued by the Governors Highway Safety Association, deaths among teen drivers in the first six months of 2011 increased in comparison to the same time period in 2010. If the upward trend continued during the second part of 2011, it would mark the first increase in teen driver deaths among 16-to 17-year-olds in eight years. Historically, more teen driver deaths occur during the second six months of the year. Statistics for the second half of 2011 will be released later this year.

During the first six months of 2011, the total number of teenage driver deaths increased to 211 from 190 during the same time period over the previous year. The change represents an 11 percent increase. The spike in the number of teen driver deaths is significant because the death rate among teen drivers was reduced by more than 50 percent. In 1995, there were more than 1,000 deaths among 16-to 17-year-old drivers and in 2010 there were only 408 deaths.

Experts believe the jump in deaths may be linked to a few factors. Over the last few years, the economy has been tough and the difficult economy may have prevented some teenagers from learning how to drive. Since the economy has picked up a little bit, it may be easier for teens to pay for fees associated with learning to drive like gas and licensing costs. Another factor may be that the benefits of graduated licensing laws may have leveled off.

Source: The New York Times, "Fatalities among teenage drivers rose in first half of 2011, study finds," Tanya Mohn, Feb. 16, 2012