Graduated driver licensing systems are being introduced throughout the United States. Pennsylvania has had a three-tiered system since 1993, but legislation significantly strengthened the system in 1999. The changes included prolonging the learner phase to 180 days, adding a passenger restriction to the junior licensing phase, and moving the nighttime driving curfew to 11 pm from midnight. This project was designed to qualitatively assess the reactions of teen drivers and their parents to a strengthened graduated driver licensing system, and to determine their beliefs about the causes of high crash risk for teen drivers. In October 2000, a scripted interview technique was used to conduct eight focus groups in western Pennsylvania including 35 family pairs (parent and teen). A total of 35 teens (21 girls and 14 boys) and 38 parents (31 mothers and7 fathers) participated. The parents believed the high teen crash rate is primarily the result of inexperience and generally supported the new system, particularly endorsing the prolonged 6-month learner phase. They found the 11 pm nighttime driving curfew somewhat inconvenient, particularly for school events, but still had an overall favorable opinion of the curfew. The teens believed the high crash rate for teen drivers is the result of immaturity and personality issues, especially a tendency to want to show off for friends. They did not like the new system's restrictions on their driving, believing the 6-month learner phase was "too long" and that the curfew was "too early:' Both parents and teens generally accepted the new passenger limitations; some parents suggested the need for even stricter passenger limitations. When discussing additional possible measures for improving novice teen driving, the suggestions included raising the standards of the testing protocols and requiring driver's education programs. Results suggest parents and teens have different beliefs about the primary causes of the high crash rate for teen drivers. There are significant disparities between their beliefs and recent evidence assessing teen crash risk factors. Their reactions to the components of Pennsylvania's strengthened graduated driver licensing system appear to be influenced by these beliefs, suggesting that education is an important feature of new legislation. (Author/publisher).
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