New driving permit holders in Quebec, 1985, 1995 : age and gender specific access rates, learning period and the effects of the 1991 reform on permit access.

The study presented in this scientific poster covers the period from January 1, 1985 to December 31, 1995, with particular attention to changes on access to a first permit (effective March 1, 1991). The reform was introduced to yield safer new drivers by requiring the theory examination before obtaining a learner's permit, 12 practical driving lessons, and also that the learner's permit be held for at least three months before the practical examination. Any failure of an examination added another 28 days to the process. The Societe de l'assurance automobile du Quebec (Canada) made available a file containing individual records for all new drivers during this period: 1,115,300 records. Licensing for men occurs at a younger age than for women. In the 1985-1995 period, the licensing rates for 16 year olds were higher for men than for women. The licensing rates for both groups increased to a maximum in 1990. Learner's permits exhibit the effect of anticipation of the reform. The age at licensing and duration of holding the learner's permit were also studied. Only for women a continual decrease is observed: from 23.0 years (1986) to 21.0 years (1995). The average learning period after the reform increased marginally, both for men and for women. The drop in licensees after 1990, due to the reform and to a recession, resulted in about 3,500 fewer accidents per year.