Licensing age issues: deliberations from a workshop devoted to this topic

Factors Contributing to Delay in Driving Licensure Among U.S. High School Students and Young Adults

PURPOSE

More teens delay in driving licensure (DDL). It is conceivable they miss Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) safety benefits. We assessed prevalence, disparities, and factors associated with DDL among emerging adults.

METHODS

Data used were from all seven waves (W1-7) of the NEXT Generation Health Study (W1 in 10th grade [2009-2010]). The outcome variable was DDL (long-DDL [delayed >2 years], intermediate-DDL [delayed 1-2 years] versus no-DDL), defined as participants receiving driver licensure ≥1 year after initial eligibility. Independent variables included sex, urbanicity, race/ethnicity, family structure, parental education, family affluence, parental monitoring knowledge, parent perceived importance of alcohol nonuse, and social media use. Logistic regressions were conducted.

RESULTS

Of 2,525 participants eligible for licensure, 887 (38.9%) reported intermediate-DDL and 1,078 (30.1%) long-DDL. Latinos (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.5 vs. whites) and those with lower affluence (AOR = 2.5 vs. high) had higher odds of intermediate-DDL. Latinos (AOR = 4.5 vs. whites), blacks (AOR = 2.3 vs. whites), those with single parent (AOR = 1.7 vs. both biological parents), whose parents' education was high school or less (AOR = 3.7 vs. bachelor+) and some college (AOR = 2.0 vs. bachelor+) levels, and those with lower affluence (AOR = 4.4 vs. high) had higher odds of long-DDL. Higher mother's monitoring knowledge (AOR = .6) was associated with lower odds of long-DDL, but not intermediate-DDL.

CONCLUSIONS

Some teens that DDL "age out" of protections afforded to them by GDL driver restrictions. Minority race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, urbanicity, and parenting factors contribute to DDL. Further study of these factors and their individual/collective contributions to DDL is needed to understand potential unintended consequences of GDL, particularly in more vulnerable youth.

History and current status of state graduated driver licensing (GDL) laws in the United States

INTRODUCTION

The objective of this study is to describe changes in teenage driver licensing policies in the United States during the past two decades with the introduction of graduated driver licensing (GDL) programs, assess GDL laws currently in place, and discuss the possibilities and likely consequences of further changes.

METHODS

The history of laws introducing and amending GDL programs was tracked, based on records maintained by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Counts of states included the District of Columbia.

RESULTS

A few states had elements of GDL prior to the mid-1990s, and between 1996 and 2006 all other states adopted a learner period of 2 months or more, a minimum supervised practice hours requirement for the learner period, or a night or passenger restriction once initially licensed. All but seven states have upgraded their original laws one or more times. Very few states weakened their laws, usually in minor ways. In 158 instances, minimum learner periods, minimum practice hour requirements, or night or passenger restrictions were added or strengthened. Fifteen states raised the minimum age for a license allowing any unsupervised driving.

CONCLUSION

GDL policies have reduced teenage driver crashes. Most states now have at least minimum requirements for basic GDL features, although there is substantial opportunity for strengthening existing policies. Additional upgrades would result in further crash reductions, but very few have been made in recent years.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

Guidelines for maximizing the crash reduction potential of GDL programs are available, based on the experience of U.S. states, other countries with GDL programs, and the evaluation literature in regard to GDL components.