Performance at licensing examinations and crash rates over the first three years of new licensees in Quebec.

In this population based study with individual records, the crash rates for the first three years of 111,500 new licensees are investigated using the explanatory variables: gender, performance at the theory and road tests, age at licensing, and length of the learning period. Men have almost twice the crash rate of women. The older new licensees (20 years and older) with a longer learning period (more than 180 days) who passed both tests at the first attempt have the lowest crash rates. Licensees who failed the theory test have consistently higher rates in each of the three years. The results could be useful for new regulations on access to a first licence. (A)