The latest local news, weather and high school sports from the Heartland

A new study says tougher restrictions on Iowa's teenage drivers could have saved the lives of 32 youngdrivers in 2009.

The Des Moines Register reports that the study report issued Tuesday includes suggested standards: 

Requiring drivers to be 16 before earning a learner's permit and restricting passengers to no more than one nonfamily passenger under 21 unless a licensed driver older than 21 is in the vehicle.

Teen driving deaths are falling nationally but have remained flat or grown slightly among 16- to 18-year-old drivers in Iowa.

Iowa has a graduated driver's licensing program, but it's not as strict as programs in some other states.

The study was released by the Allstate Foundation, a nonprofit arm of insurance giant Allstate.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)