Citation

Fell JC, Voas RB, Romano EO, Blackman K. Transp. Res. Circular 2009; (E-C132): 103-113.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2009, U.S. National Academy of Sciences Transportation Research Board)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Despite the promising evidence for the effectiveness of Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL), the policy faces a number of hurdles. Although 44 states have adopted a three-phased program, the elements within each phase adopted by states vary considerably. Two of the GDL components involve a practical cost to some families: “no teen passengers” means big brother cannot drive sister to piano lessons, and “no nighttime driving” means daughter cannot pick up and drive mom home from her evening job. Legislators and parents must have a clear appreciation for the safety benefits if they are to accept the trade-offs required by GDL restrictions. More significantly, the GDL system places the major part of the enforcement effort on the parent. Police may on occasion stop a vehicle with a young-looking driver to check driving permit status, but the GDL limitations are likely to be ignored much of the time unless the parent takes a personal interest in enforcing the rules. In addition to strengthening their GDL laws if justified, states will need to invest in public information programs to gain parental support for supervising their teen drivers. To support programs directed at persuading parental investment in such activities, additional evidence on the extent that GDL and its two more onerous provisions, passenger and nighttime restrictions, are significantly reducing novice driver deaths is needed. In this brief report, the authors examine the trend in crash involvement for two groups of underage drivers (15- to 17-year-olds and 18- to 20-year-olds) in relation to the growth in the number of states enacting GDL laws since 1995.