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Graduated Licensing Programs: Will They Help Save Our Teenage Children?
Fact: Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death and injury among teenagers, and crash risk is highest among the most inexperienced teens.
Fact: Drivers 16 years of age experience crashes almost three times as often as more experienced drivers ages 18 to 19 years.
Fact: The crash risk for young drivers is greatest at night, and also increases when teenage passengers are in the car.
Graduated Driver Licenses address the high risks faced by new drivers by allowing them to get their initial driving experience under low risk conditions.
What is the great debate about a "Graduated Licensing System?" This 3-step licensing program would involve the following:
- Step 1. Learning Drivers get a "Learner's Permit." Under GDL, beginning drivers must first obtain a learner’s permit which allows them to drive only while supervised by a licensed driver. The learner’s permit must be held for a specified time period, and in some cases, a minimum amount of supervised driving is also required during this phase. Research has shown that learner’s permit requirements contribute substantially to the safety benefits of GDL. Crash rates for drivers with learning permits are much lower than those of newly-licensed drivers.
- Step 2. New drivers would get an "intermediate license." Under this provisional license phase, drivers must successfully complete their learner’s permit requirements and pass a skills test to receive a provisional or intermediate license. The provisional license restricts unsupervised driving in some higher-risk situations such as late night driving and driving with teen passengers. Though nighttime driving and passenger restrictions have been shown to reduce the crash risk for teen drivers, research findings suggest that passenger restrictions are violated more frequently than nighttime driving restrictions. The intermediate license would give young drivers time to develop skills necessary to operate a motor vehicle safely. It would also not allow young drivers to drive during high-risk hours late at night.
- Step 3. Full or unrestricted license.
Do you think that we need to instill a new Graduated Licensing System? Would it help to save more teenagers?
How Effective is Graduated Licensing?
Evaluations of GDL programs in the United States, Canada, and New Zealand clearly show the benefits of adopting graduated licensing components. California reported a 5 percent reduction in crashes for drivers ages 15-17. Maryland reported a 5 percent reduction in crashes and a 10 percent reduction in traffic convictions for drivers age 16-17. Oregon reported a 16 percent reduction in crashes for male drivers age 16-17. Florida has reported a 9 percent reduction in crashes for teens 16-19 years old. Research has consistently found that GDL reduces the crash risk among teen and other inexperienced drivers. GDL appears to work both by reducing the amount of driving by an inexperienced driver and by improving driving skills under low risk conditions.
Preliminary results of Ontario’s graduated driver licensing system reported a 31 percent reduction in crashes for drivers ages 15-19.
The need for GDL
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death and injury among teenagers, and crash risk is highest among the most inexperienced teens. Drivers 16 years of age experience crashes almost three times as often as more experienced drivers ages 18 to 19 years. The crash risk for young drivers is greatest at night, and also increases when teenage passengers are in the car. GDL address the high risks faced by new drivers by allowing them to get their initial driving experience under low risk conditions.
The role of parents
Most parents of teenagers are involved in teaching driving skills, supervising driving, and governing their teens’ access to vehicles. GDL can guide and support parents in these activities. However, many parents are unprepared for their new role as enforcer of the GDL restrictions, and "how to" information for these parents is limited. Only a few programs to strengthen parental management of teen driving have been formally evaluated. Further work is needed to develop, implement, and evaluate strategies for improving parental management of teen drivers.
Check the graduated licensing laws in your state by clicking here.
Below are just a few websites with related information:
Click here to read other articles by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Click here to read other articles by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Copyright © National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This information is provided as a courtesy to MyParenTime.com's visitors and is for educational purposes only.
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