Fatalities from crashes involving young drivers have accounted for just under one-fifth of all fatalities on the Nation’s roads. This population of young drivers has specific characteristics that set them apart from older drivers as well as a specific set of laws pertaining to their ability to drive. Previous research has shown that young drivers lack the experience behind the wheel that most older drivers have, do not have the same maturity level as older drivers, and are more prone to risk-taking behaviour. These characteristics influenced the development of graduated driver licensing (GDL) programs in different areas of the country to provide opportunities for experience, lessen the opportunity for risk-taking behaviour, and educate young drivers about hazards on roadways. While these programs are greatly beneficial, young driver-related crashes remain a prevalent issue in our Nation. * Youths 15 to 20 years old represented 9 percent of the U.S. population in 2007 and 6 percent of the licensed drivers; however, 19 percent of the fatalities in the United States in 2007 were related to young-driver crashes. * Approximately two-thirds of the people killed in fatal young-driver crashes are the young drivers themselves or the passengers (of all ages) of the young drivers. * Of the passengers killed riding in vehicles with young drivers, 67 percent are in the same 15-to-20-year-old age group as the drivers. * Fifty-six percent of the fatal crashes and 57 percent of the fatalities involving young drivers occur on rural road-ways. GDL typically consists of three distinct stages: (1) the learner’s permit stage in which teen drivers may only drive with a fully licensed adult in the vehicle; (2) provisional or intermediate license stage, in which novice teen drivers may drive unsupervised, but with certain restrictions in place; and (3) full licensing. The provisional or intermediate stage includes various driving restrictions, including nighttime driving, disallowing teen drivers to drive after a certain curfew, and passenger restrictions, disallowing teen drivers to drive with other teen passengers in the vehicle. As of July 2009, 48 States plus the District of Columbia have a nighttime driving restriction in place for young drivers in their provisional license phase. Forty-two States plus DC have passenger restrictions for young novice drivers. At age 18, provisional license restrictions are typically lifted (IIHS, July 2009). (Author/publisher)
Samenvatting