Rotorua driving instructor Jackson Te Pairi said he had a few teen students who had breached their restricted conditions by carrying passengers.
"The odd one" had breached the 10pm restricted curfew, mostly for employment reasons.
"A lot of the ones that I have come through my defensive driving course, probably eight out of 10 don't breach their [conditions].
"Most of the ones that I have are responsible.
"They're pretty open about what they've done."
Automobile Association driving training manager Karen Dickson said she was surprised and disappointed by the survey's findings.
"We think that's a shame because the rules are put there to protect us all."
NZTA road safety director Ernst Zollner said a range of measures introduced in recent years had helped to cut the number of fatal and serious injury crashes involving teenage drivers from 475 in 2008 to 257 last year.
But it was important that young drivers complied with their graduated licensing conditions to acquire the skills and maturity needed to become safe drivers.
New Zealand's graduated licensing system requires learner drivers to be supervised at all times when driving, while drivers on a restricted licence cannot carry passengers or drive between 10pm and 5am without the supervision of a fully licensed driver.
"These conditions are not random - they are based on a wealth of research and analysis, and they specifically address the driving behaviours which most put young people at risk of crashing," Mr Zollner said.
"Young drivers are over-represented in fatal and serious crashes, and the risk of crashing increases when driving unsupervised, carrying passengers or driving alone late at night."
Parenting expert/psychologist Nigel Latta said it was important for parents to stay involved in their teens' driving even when they got their restricted licence.
"Though your teen may have the bit of paper that says they can drive by themselves, they have a long way to go before they'll have all the skills and experience they need.
"Check up on their driving regularly.
"You need to be a coach, not a rubber stamp."