38% Fewer Fatal Crashes in States With Toughest Teen Driving Laws

Seven common components of GDL laws are characteristic of the most effective programs.

AURORA, Ill., Feb. 15 -- Sixteen-year-old drivers are involved in 38 percent fewer fatal crashes and 40 percent fewer crashes resulting in injuries if their state has a graduated driver licensing (GDL) program with at least five of seven common components, according to a study released today by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.

"Motor vehicle crashes remain the number one cause of death for teens in the United States, and roughly 1,000 16-year-old drivers are involved in fatal crashes each year," said Brad Roeber, AAA Chicago president. "This study was commissioned to understand the ability of legislation to make a difference on teen driver safety. Based on the research results, the impact of GDL programs is highly impressive."

Many of the seven basic GDL components that were included as criteria in the study are in place in states across the U.S. They include:

  -- A minimum age of at least 16 years for receiving a learner's permit.
  -- A requirement to hold the learner's permit for at least 6 months before
     receiving a license that allows any unsupervised driving.
  -- A requirement for certification of at least 30 hours of supervised
     driving practice during the learner stage.
  -- An intermediate stage of licensing with a minimum entry age of at least
     16 years and 6 months.
  -- A nighttime driving restriction for intermediate license holders,
     beginning no later than 10 p.m.
  -- A passenger restriction for intermediate license holders, allowing no
     more than one passenger (except family members).
  -- A minimum age of 17 years for full, unrestricted licensure.

During the study period, no state had more than five GDL components in effect. Illinois currently has three components and under the Secretary of State's proposed legislation, it will have five.

"This report shows that we need to take a very comprehensive approach to improving teen driver safety," said Secretary of State Jesse White. "More parental involvement and passage of the new laws proposed by my teen driver safety task force will reduce the number of crashes involving young drivers and save lives."

  Additional research results include:

  -- In states with GDL programs that have four of the seven components,
     16-year-old drivers were involved in 21 percent fewer fatal crashes and
     36 percent fewer crashes with injuries.
  -- Three-stage GDL programs, such as Illinois, are more effective at
     reducing crash rates than GDL programs that do not include three stages
     of licensure. In the states with three-stage GDL programs, 16-year-old
     drivers were involved in 11 percent fewer fatal crashes, and 19 percent
     fewer crashes with injuries.

Currently, 43 states and the District of Columbia have enacted three-stage GDL systems, and all states have some form of GDL. A typical three-stage GDL program comprises a learner stage, during which all driving must be supervised; followed by an intermediate stage, during which unsupervised driving is permitted except under certain conditions (such as at night or with passengers); and finally full, unrestricted licensure.

Five states lack intermediate licenses: Arizona, Arkansas, Kansas, Minnesota and North Dakota. Nebraska and New Hampshire lack mandatory learner's permits.