Driver education, licensing policies, and parental management are three areas of countermeasures for decreasing teen driver risk of motor vehicle crashes (MVCs). However, these measures vary in effectiveness and implementation. This study describes the nature of young driver crash risk, the current status of the major countermeasures and potential approaches to increasing the effectiveness of these countermeasures. Driver education is an essential part of teaching young people the rules of the road and operating a vehicle; however, it has not proven to prevent MVCs among young drivers. Graduated driver licensing programs have effectively reduced motor vehicle crashes where adopted; however adoption and effectiveness of these policies vary. Parental management of teen driving has not been systematically studied until recently and may be an important part of reducing teen driving risk. Research indicates that parents place modest restrictions on their teens' driving and that restrictions are related to fewer risk driving behaviors, tickets and MVCs. The Checkpoints Program aims to increase parental management of teen driving and has been shown to do so in short-term follow-ups in several randomized trails. Each of these countermeasures is important to teen safety. Better integration among, and wider implementation of, these countermeasures would provide greater protection against MVCs among teen drivers.
Abstract