Graduated driver licensing: Review of evaluation results since 2002
Section snippets
Background
In spite of recent attention to the issue, unintentional injury from motor-vehicle crashes remains the number one cause of death among teenagers in the United States (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2005, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2006). Indeed, in most developed countries, the crash rates of young novice drivers are higher than those of any other age group. To address this problem, changes to existing licensing systems have been made in Europe, Canada, New
Methods
Evaluation studies of GDL programs were located through several methods. The studies mentioned in the updates noted above were obtained from publications or from the authors if possible. Searches, using the terms graduated driver licensing, graduated licensing, evaluation, teen drivers, and young drivers, were done in PubMed, Pro Quest, Google Scholar, PsychINFO, Cochrane Library, ERIC, and the ISI Web of Science, as well as in the library collection of the University of Michigan Transportation
Results
Although the world's literature was searched, evaluations of GDL available since 2002 were only found for jurisdictions in the United States and Canada. A sum of 27 studies were included in this review, 21 of which were studies of individual jurisdictions, and six of which were studies of the United States as a whole. Additional evaluation studies are anticipated from Oregon (under review at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), and possibly from Louisiana. The studies and their
Discussion
The first question to ask is, “Is GDL effective?” The answer, based on the growing number of studies, is yes – GDL is effective. Teen crashes, and particularly those of 16 year olds, are considerably reduced after GDL is implemented. When the small number of early U.S. studies was reviewed in 2002 (Shope & Molnar, 2003), the conclusion then was that the results were impressive and encouraging, even though the follow-up periods were short and the methods used were relatively straightforward.
Conclusions
The goal of GDL is to prevent injuries and deaths from teen drivers' motor-vehicle crashes. GDL is clearly helping, resulting in reductions in teen crashes, but still more can be done to reduce morbidity and mortality from teens' motor-vehicle crashes. Creative approaches are especially required to reduce teen crash rates during the first six months of unsupervised driving. Ideas include integrating licensing, driver education, parental involvement and monitoring, peer programs, and insurance
Acknowledgements
The author would like to thank colleagues who helped locate studies and review the manuscript, and the UMTRI and CARRS-Q staff who helped with the literature review and manuscript preparation. Support from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Center for Injury Prevention and Control, and the National Safety Council is much appreciated.
Jean T. Shope, MSPH, Ph.D.
Associate Director, University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute
Dr. Jean T. Shope is the associate director of UMTRI and a research professor in UMTRI's Social and Behavioral Analysis Division (SBA). Dr. Shope began conducting research at UMTRI in 1991, and served as SBA division head from 1995 to 2005. She has been on the faculty of the Department of Health Behavior and Health Education in the University of Michigan School of Public Health since 1979. Dr.
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Cited by (0)
Jean T. Shope, MSPH, Ph.D.
Associate Director, University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute
Dr. Jean T. Shope is the associate director of UMTRI and a research professor in UMTRI's Social and Behavioral Analysis Division (SBA). Dr. Shope began conducting research at UMTRI in 1991, and served as SBA division head from 1995 to 2005. She has been on the faculty of the Department of Health Behavior and Health Education in the University of Michigan School of Public Health since 1979. Dr. Shope has a B.S. in nursing from Cornell University, an M.S.P.H. from the University of Minnesota, and a Ph.D. in theoretical and behavioral foundations of education from Wayne State University. She also completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Health Behavior and Health Education in the University of Michigan School of Public Health.
Dr. Shope has an extensive background in funded research, much of it regarding school health education, adolescent substance use, adolescent driving, at-risk drinking, drink/driving, older drivers, and graduated driver licensing. Research sponsors include CDC's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, the National Safety Council, NHTSA, the National Institute on Aging, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, the National Cancer Institute, the National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke, General Motors, and Toyota, as well as various state agencies and departments. Dr. Shope has a substantial publication record, and is a sought–after expert, especially on the topics of teen and young adult drivers, driver education, and graduated driver licensing.