16-Year-Old Drivers Involved in 38 Percent Fewer Fatal Crashes in States with Most Comprehensive GDL Programs, Says AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.

Seven Common Components of GDL Laws Are Characteristic of the Most Effective Programs

WASHINGTON -- Sixteen-year-old drivers are involved in 38 percent fewer fatal crashes and 40 percent fewer crashes resulting in injuries if their state has a graduated driver licensing (GDL) program with at least five of seven common components, according to a study released today by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.

"Motor vehicle crashes remain the number one cause of death for teens in the United States, and roughly 1,000 16-year-old drivers are involved in fatal crashes each year," said J. Peter Kissinger, AAA Foundation president and CEO, at a news conference in Washington, D.C., where the research was released. "We commissioned this study to better understand the ability of legislation to make a difference on teen driver safety. Based on the research results, the impact of GDL programs is highly impressive."

Many of the seven basic GDL components that were included as criteria in the study are in place in states across the U.S. They include:

* A minimum age of at least 16 years for receiving a learner's permit.

* A requirement to hold the learner's permit for at least 6 months before receiving a license that allows any unsupervised driving.

* A requirement for certification of at least 30 hours of supervised driving practice during the learner stage.

* An intermediate stage of licensing with a minimum entry age of at least 16 years and 6 months.

* A nighttime driving restriction for intermediate license holders, beginning no later than 10 p.m.

* A passenger restriction for intermediate license holders, allowing no more than one passenger (except family members).

* A minimum age of 17 years for full, unrestricted licensure.

During the study period, no state had more than five GDL components in effect. As of Feb. 15, Delaware has all seven components, and Kentucky, Rhode Island, and the District of Columbia have six.

"This research provides one more key piece of evidence that states seeking to keep teens safer on the road should start with an effective graduated driver licensing system," said Robert L. Darbelnet, AAA president and CEO. "States that have not yet implemented a three-stage GDL program should do so, and all states should move toward implementation of a full complement of meaningful GDL program components. Parents can help, too, by imposing limits that their state laws might be missing."

Additional research results include:

* In states with GDL programs that have four of the seven components, 16-year-old drivers were involved in 21 percent fewer fatal crashes and 36 percent fewer crashes with injuries.

* Three-stage GDL programs are more effective at reducing crash rates than GDL programs that do not include three stages of licensure. In the states with three-stage GDL programs, 16-year-old drivers were involved in 11 percent fewer fatal crashes, and 19 percent fewer crashes with injuries.

Currently, 43 states and the District of Columbia have enacted three-stage GDL systems, and all states have some form of GDL. A typical three-stage GDL program comprises a learner stage, during which all driving must be supervised; followed by an intermediate stage, during which unsupervised driving is permitted except under certain conditions (such as at night or with passengers); and finally full, unrestricted licensure.

Five states lack intermediate licenses: Arizona, Arkansas, Kansas, Minnesota and North Dakota. Nebraska and New Hampshire lack mandatory learner's permits.

The AAA Foundation funded researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health to analyze the impact of GDL programs, implemented in the United States between 1994 and 2004, on the involvement of 16-year-old drivers in fatal crashes and injury crashes, and to identify characteristics common to effective programs.

Established in 1947 by AAA, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety is an independent, publicly funded, 501(c)(3) charitable research and educational organization. The AAA Foundation's mission is to prevent traffic deaths and injuries by conducting research into their causes and by educating the public about strategies to prevent crashes and reduce injuries when they do occur. The report "Nationwide Review of Graduated Driver Licensing," is available online at www.aaafoundation.org.

As North America's largest motoring and leisure travel organization, AAA provides nearly 50 million members with travel, insurance, financial and automotive-related services. Since its founding in 1902, the not-for-profit, fully tax-paying AAA has been a leader and advocate for the safety and security of all travelers. AAA clubs can be visited on the Internet at www.aaa.com.

B-roll of the news conference as well as other teen driving footage is
available for media via satellite:
 3:00 - 3:15 PM Feb 15th: Galaxy 26 (Formerly IA6C)
  Transponder 9/
  Downlink 3880

 10:30 -10:45 AM Feb 16th: Galaxy 26 (Formerly IA6C)
  Transponder 14
  Downlink 3980
  Audio for all 6.2/6.8