Statistics show that driving a car is one of the most dangerous things a young person will ever do. There is considerable opportunity to increase safety for our young drivers by better matching licensing arrangements and initiatives with their safety needs. Graduated licensing systems allow new drivers to move from driving in lower to higher risk situations as driving experience and maturity increases. International experience with graduated licensing systems in New Zealand, Canada and most US states is encouraging, but we need to ensure that the development of a local graduated licensing scheme is tailored to address the road safety issues in Victoria. This paper examines the crashes and key risks for young drivers in Victoria, and identifies possible graduated licensing measures to address these issues. (Author/publisher)
Abstract