Study has implications for 'family exemption' to graduated driver licensing
                                    laws

    PHILADELPHIA, June 14 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A study released this
week from The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and State Farm(R)
found that while children driven by teens are twice as likely to suffer
crash injury as those driven by adults, their risk is 40 percent lower if
the teenaged driver is their older brother or sister.
    The research, published this week in the journal Injury Prevention, may
offer insights for parents, as well as for state lawmakers involved in
setting standards for graduated driver licensing (GDL) laws for young
drivers.
    Previous findings from the ongoing research alliance between CHOP and
State Farm have proven that young children riding with newly licensed
teenagers are at a much higher risk for injury in a crash than they are
with adult drivers. This and other studies have led lawmakers in many
states to impose restrictions on the number of passengers young drivers are
allowed to carry without adult supervision. However, many states allow
exceptions for family members.
    Until now, the injury risk to sibling versus non-sibling passengers has
not been explored.
    "Our goal was to determine whether allowing an exception for teenaged
drivers to carry family members as passengers makes sense from an injury
prevention standpoint, and not just as a matter of convenience," explains
Flaura Winston, M.D., Ph.D., Scientific Director of the Center for Injury
Research and Prevention at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. "We
found that children are safer and more likely to be restrained when riding
with a teenaged sibling than with a non-related teenager, but they're
safest when they're riding with a driver older than 25."
    The study, conducted as part of the Partners for Child Passenger Safety
project, included accident and injury data on 16,233 children below age 16,
who were riding with 15- through 19-year-old drivers in 16 states and
Washington, D.C. These crashes were reported to State Farm from December
2000 through December 2005.
    "Busy parents have come to rely on their older children helping with
shuttling siblings to various commitments," says Dr. Winston. "By allowing
family member exceptions, passenger restrictions may be readily accepted by
both parents and policymakers." Researchers say this may be an important
first step for states, which currently have no passenger restrictions for
young drivers.
    Rather than restrict sibling passengers, Dr. Winston recommends GDL
programs provide appropriate education and disincentives, such as
postponement of full-driving privileges if all child passengers are not
properly restrained.
    The researchers also caution parents to make sure there is a specific
destination involved with the trip. Crash risk increases dramatically among
teen drivers when there is no predetermined destination. Dr. Winston offers
this advice to parents who are deciding whether to allow their teens to
drive younger brothers and sisters: "Parents should pay attention to their
children's risk-taking tendencies before allowing them to ride together
without an adult. In some cases, siblings can have a negative influence on
one another's risk-taking behaviors that can be stronger than parental or
peer influence."
    For the latest research and information for parents about teen driving,
visit http://www.chop.edu/youngdrivers. For more information about child
passenger safety, visit http://www.chop.edu/carseat.
    About Partners for Child Passenger Safety (PCPS)
    Partners for Child Passenger Safety (PCPS) is a research initiative of
The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and State Farm(R) and is the
world's largest study of children in crashes. As of Dec. 31, 2005, more
than 455,000 State Farm customers, transporting 669,000 children, had
participated in the study. The study includes 29,675 in-depth interviews
and more than 800 crash investigations. PCPS is also conducting research to
develop, test and disseminate interventions to improve safe driving among
teen drivers.
    About The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
    The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia was founded in 1855 as the
nation's first pediatric hospital. Through its long-standing commitment to
providing exceptional patient care, training new generations of pediatric
healthcare professionals and pioneering major research initiatives,
Children's Hospital has fostered many discoveries that have benefited
children worldwide. Its pediatric research program is among the largest in
the country, ranking third in National Institutes of Health funding. In
addition, its unique family-centered care and public service programs have
brought the 430-bed hospital recognition as a leading advocate for children
and adolescents. For more information, visit http://www.chop.edu.
    About State Farm
    State Farm(R) insures more cars than any other insurer in North America
and is the leading U.S. home insurer. State Farm's 17,000 agents and 68,000
employees serve over 74 million auto, fire, life and health policies in the
United States and Canada, and more than 1.8 million bank accounts. State
Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent of the State Farm
family of companies. State Farm is ranked No. 22 on the Fortune 500 list of
largest companies. For more information, please visit
http://www.statefarm.com(R) or in Canada http://www.statefarm.ca(TM).

SOURCE The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia