Driver license status in fatal motor vehicle traffic crashes was examined in association with other variables in the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS). Some of the major findings for 2012 are: * Nineteen percent of motor vehicle fatalities involved drivers with invalid licenses; * Drivers with invalid licenses comprised 13 percent of all drivers involved in fatal crashes; * Motorcycle operators involved in fatal motor vehicle crashes were the most likely to have invalid licenses; * Large-truck and bus drivers were the least likely to have invalid licenses; * Night-time crashes were more likely to involve drivers with invalid licenses; * Male drivers involved in fatal crashes had invalid licenses more frequently than did female drivers; * Other than those under age 16, drivers 21 to 34 had the highest proportion of invalid licenses in fatal crashes. It is concluded that about one in five fatal crashes, as well as traffic fatalities, involve drivers without valid licenses. This percentage varies depending on the gender and age of the driver, the time of day, and the type of vehicle being driven. Understanding which drivers are most at-risk for having invalid licenses is useful in developing programs, enforcement, and media campaigns. Individual States varied widely in the percentage of fatalities in crashes involving drivers with invalid licenses, from a low of 6 percent to a high of 31 percent. (Author/publisher)
Abstract