Significant changes in Oregon’s teen licensing laws went into effect on March 1, 2000. The new laws expanded the provisional driving license program which had been in effect since October 1989 and established a graduated driver licensing (GDL) program for all drivers under age 18. The program is intended to reduce fatal and injury crashes among teen drivers and to promote safe driving. Two studies were completed by research organizations that were designed to assess the impact of Oregon’s teen licensing laws. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) published a study, Evaluation of Oregon’s Graduated Driver Licensing Program, conducted by the Center for Applied Research, Inc. (CAR). The American Automobile Association financed a study, Reducing the Crash Risk for Young Drivers, which was conducted by the Traffic Research Injury Research Foundation (TIRF) to review not only Oregon’s graduated licensing program but also programs in Ontario and British Columbia, Canada. Analysis of driver records as well as surveys and focus group research were included in these studies. The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) has synthesized the results of these studies. This report provides background information, summarizes the key findings of the two reports and presents conclusions and recommendations based on the results. The results indicate that Oregon’s graduated driver license program has safety benefits and it should be continued. (Author/publisher)
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