Reducing the Crash Risk for Young Drivers

A new research project by the AAA Foundation will look at graduated driver licensing and analyze which components are most effective.

The research involves four sub-projects.

The first of four project phases involves a comprehensive analysis of the characteristics, conditions and circumstances of crashes in two jurisdictions with substantially different graduated licensing programs. If differences in the programs (e.g., the prohibition on unsupervised driving during night hours; the passenger restrictions) are reflected in differences in the crash rates and patterns, this could be used to improve graduated licensing programs.

In the second phase, TIRF staff will compare the characteristics of young drivers in the graduated licensing jurisdictions who are involved in collisions to those who remain collision-free. Comparisons will focus on person-centered and lifestyle characteristics, obtained via a survey administered to 2,000 young drivers -- 1,000 in each of the two graduated licensing jurisdictions. One parent will also be surveyed about their involvement in the teen's driver training and management and about their own collision and conviction history.

Phase 3 will involve a computer-based assessment of knowledge, driving skills, and hazard perception abilities of up to 500 novice drivers -- 250 from each of the two GDL jurisdictions (125 collision-involved and 125 collision-free).

Phase 4 involves development and refinement of a comprehensive report describing project phases, study findings, and implications for graduated licensing, all geared toward reducing the carnage among young drivers.

The AAA Foundation hopes that this important research will help identify those graduated driver licensing provisions that are most effective and thus help states and provinces refine their laws to better protect new drivers.

For more information, please read the proposal on the AAA Foundation's website.