Report: More Colorado teenagers waiting on getting behind the wheel

The traditional heart-in-mouth moment parents experience when their teenage son or daughter fires up the car for the first time on their own seems to be happening later and later in Colorado, according to a report in the Colorado Springs Gazette.

The newspaper speculates that a number of economic factors are at work in pushing back the time frame for teens looking to acquire their licenses. As gas prices rise, driving is more financially taxing for both teens and parents, particularly given the generally high cost of insurance for new drivers.

Rob Foss, who directs a research unit at the University of North Carolina, told the Gazette that "the world of licensing has really changed and you can't really compare it to the past." Foss and others point out that many states, including Colorado, have tightened restrictions on licenses for teens, mandating at least a year between the acquisition of learner's permit and full license.

Driver's education classes are generally encouraged for new drivers. Among the numerous benefits of the courses are decreased accident rates and the possibility of discounts on car insurance rates, experts say.