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July 13, 2006
TOUGHER GRADUATED TEEN LICENSING FOUND MORE EFFECTIVE
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University's Bloomberg School of Public Health have found in a new study that while graduated driver licensing programs reduce the incidence of fatal crashes of 16-year-old drivers by an average of eleven percent, the most comprehensive programs are achieving about a 20 percent reduction based on crash injury data. Programs defined by the researchers as the most comprehensive programs include at least five of seven components:
- A minimum age of 15 1/2 for obtaining a learner permit
- A waiting period after obtaining a learner permit of at least 3 months before applying for an intermediate license
- A minimum of 30 hours of supervised driving
- Minimum age of at least 16 years for obtaining an intermediate state license
- Minimum age of at least 17 years for full licensing
- A nighttime driving restriction
- A restriction on carrying passengers
At present 36 states have graduated teen licensing programs, among which the requirements vary.
Posted by MVHAP at July 13, 2006 02:53 PM