Showing posts with label Graduated Drivers Licensing. Show all posts

License to Wait

Posted by Unknown in , , , , , , , on Thursday, August 1, 2013

If you were anything like me as a teenager, you’ll likely be as surprised as I was by the findings of our latest study, just released today. When I was 16, getting my driver’s license was my top priority, and I still remember thinking that a winter storm that postponed my road test by six weeks was absolutely devastating. But a new AAA Foundation survey of 18- 20-year-olds has found that less than half (just 44%) of American teens get their license within a year of their home state’s age of eligibility, and barely half (54%) get it by the time they turn 18!


The study offers evidence supporting a general perception that teens have been voluntarily delaying licensure in recent years; it also examines what some of the reasons for this delay might be. With graduated driver licensing (GDL) systems now placing some combination of driving restrictions (such as passenger limits, late-night prohibitions, etc.) on teens in all states, a big question was whether young drivers simply wanted to wait to get their license until these provisions were lifted (generally age 18, except in New Jersey). In other words, are the three tiers of GDL (learner’s permit, restricted license, full licensure) so undesirable that teens are willing to avoid it?

It turns out that the reasons for delayed licensure generally pertain more to economic considerations, busy schedules, and simple lack of interest. In fact, the biggest reasons cited for not getting a license were not having a car (44%), an ability to get around without driving (39%), cost of gas and cost overall (36% each), and “just didn’t get around to it” (35%). Fewer than one in four cited reasons related to GDL.

Even if GDL isn’t the reason for the delay, however, it is troubling that more than a third (at least 36%) of novice drivers today get licensed outside of the protective GDL system because of the delay. A recent Foundation literature review highlighted the lifesaving achievements of graduated licensing, which has been credited with reductions of 20-40 percent in 16-year-old driver crashes, and a 6-19 percent drop in crashes of 17-year-old drivers. Yet with the three-tiered system generally “expiring” once a teen turns 18, license delay for any reason can result in a significant number of novices missing out on this highly effective system.

More research is clearly needed to investigate the effects that GDL might have on older novice driver (ages 18-20, e.g.) safety, and to examine how the age at which a teen gets licensed impacts crash rates. To this end, we’ve initiated a project to study the crash rates of teens by age at licensure in three states: North Carolina and California, which do not have comprehensive GDL for older novices, and New Jersey, which does. You can read more about this project here.

Summer is the deadliest season for teens on the road, so this is a particularly poignant time to consider the results of this study. To learn more about it, please visit the project page. And, as always, please continue to drive safely all summer long.       

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Is Safety on Your Syllabus?

Posted by Unknown in , , , , , , , , , on Thursday, August 30, 2012


Three-and-a-half months ago, we joined with many of our safety partners to publicize the fact that summertime is a particularly deadly period for teens on the road. Longer trips, later nights, and relaxed attitudes can all contribute to a spike in teen driving – and crash risk – during this time. The National Organizations for Youth Safety, therefore, challenged all of us to have the summer of 2012 be the “Safest Summer Ever.” We sincerely hope that for you and your family and friends, it was.

Just because the summer is winding down, however, doesn’t mean it’s time to let safety slip off the radar screen. After all, motor vehicle crashes are the leading killer of young Americans – all year long. And with kids heading back to class and family routines crystallizing again, back-to-school time provides an excellent chance to promote safety within your family.

If you drive your kids to school, that time in the car is a perfect opportunity to model safe behaviors and attitudes for them. If they see you buckling up, putting away your cell phone and other distracting items, slowing and stopping properly for school buses, and using extra caution at crosswalks, they’ll have an implicit understanding of the importance of such actions. It’s never too early to start building awareness of the responsibilities that come with being a driver, pedestrian, or bicyclist.

Promoting safety in the hours after school lets out is crucial, as well, as this is one of the deadliest times of day for teens. All too often, teens pile into cars with their friends, and the results can be deadly. AAA Foundation research has shown that the risk of teens being killed in a crash skyrockets when passengers are present, and that despite laws in most states restricting newly-licensed teens from driving with their peers, roughly 40 percent of teen drivers killed in crashes were carrying passengers. This is a good time of year, therefore, to talk with teens about the importance of obeying passenger restrictions, and to make sure alternative transportation options to sporting events, jobs, and other activities are available.

AAA and the AAA Foundation have long been engaged in addressing school- and child-related traffic safety concerns. The AAA School Safety Patrol program has turned generations of children – including Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton – into traffic safety leaders at their schools. Participating students take on the responsibility of helping move traffic and pedestrians safely and efficiently through school zones, and volunteers have saved nearly 400 lives in the program’s history. Additionally, the AAA Foundation offers a variety of instructional materials related to school safety, including videos on crossing guard training and school bus safety.

Safety may not officially be on the syllabus for your students this year, but we hope it will be taught and promoted all the same. By working together, we can make sure kids of all ages are able to come to school ready and able to learn, because they are safe.

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Graduated Driver Licensing and Night Driving

Posted by Unknown in , , , , on Friday, May 4, 2012


One of the most successful innovations in the effort to reduce teen traffic fatalities has been the adoption of graduated driver licensing (GDL) in every state. Under these GDL systems, teens are not granted full driving privileges right away. Instead, they progress through stages, with restrictions gradually lifted as teens become more experienced.

While each state sets its own specific GDL provisions, the basic structure is the same almost everywhere:

1)    Teens first get a learner’s permit, which allows them to drive only when a parent or other adult is in the car with them.

2)    Next, teens get an intermediate license, which allows them to drive unsupervised, but with certain restrictions in place.

3)    Finally, after a certain amount of time or when they reach a certain age, teens can receive a full, unrestricted license.

This tiered approach limits the risk teens are exposed to when they are first learning to drive, so that they have gained some practice and experience by the time they confront more hazardous situations.

One circumstance that nearly every state’s GDL system places restrictions on is night driving. The combination of reduced visibility, glare, fatigue, impaired drivers, and other factors makes night time particularly hazardous for teens, who are not yet accustomed to managing risks behind the wheel. In fact, driving at night doubles teens’ chances of getting in a deadly crash. And it’s not just late-night driving that’s dangerous: along with the hours right after school gets out, the most common time for teen traffic fatalities to occur is between 9 pm and midnight.

So how can we protect teens from night time crashes? It’s important to know what time your state’s night restrictions take effect. In nearly half the states, they don’t begin until midnight or later; safety experts, however, agree that teen safety would be improved greatly if restrictions kicked in at 9 or 10 pm. If you’re a parent, you can always decide to set house rules requiring your teen to be off the road earlier than state law requires.

Night driving restrictions are not the same as curfews. They are not about keeping teens out of trouble so much as they are about keeping them alive. Visit our web site, www.traffic-payout.org, to learn about our work in teen safety. For additional resources for parents and teens, visit www.teendriving.aaa.com.

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