Young Drivers:

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Young Drivers

• A Study of Policies and Practices

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PREPARED BY

• David Anderson, Ph.D.
• Associate Professor
• Amr Abdalla, Ph.D.
• Research and Evaluation Director
• Noel Goldberg, M.S.
• Program Manager
• Blakely Pomietto, M.P.H.
• Public Health Specialist
• George Mason University
• Center for the Advancement of Public Health
• Department of Health, Fitness, and Recreation
  Resources
• Graduate School of Education

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PURPOSE

• To examine current approaches designed to best
  prepare and oversee young drivers in Virginia
• To glean what seems to be working
• To identify where adjustments and improvements
  appear to be warranted for consideration
• To improve existing policies and approaches for
  better dealing with young drivers

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RATIONALE

• As evidenced by the data, both from a national
  and state perspective, young drivers are
  disproportionately over-represented in motor
  vehicle crashes.

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METHODOLOGY

• Nine distinct approaches to gather information
• Literature review
• Interviews with key informants
• National survey of state efforts
• Interviews with leaders from highway safety,
  transportation, and state police in each state
• National and state data

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METHODOLOGY

• Review of the status of Virginia jurisdiction
  curfew laws
• Interviews with 5 officials in 60 Virginia
  jurisdictions
• Focus groups with youth, parents, and driver
  instructors
• Group discussion with key state officials

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Virginia Approaches (2000)

• A person must be 16 years old to obtain a
  drivers license.
• The applicant must pass a vision screening, a
  two-part knowledge exam, and a road skills test.
• For juveniles under age 18, parents must provide
  permission for the license.
• A learners permit may be obtained at the age of
  15, and must be held until the person is 16 years
  old.
• All those under age 19 must complete a
  state-approved driver education program.

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Virginia Approaches (2000)

• Teen drivers and their parents/legal guardians
  must participate in a Juvenile Licensing program
  in local courts, where the judge typically hands
  the license to the adult accompanying the
  juvenile.
• Parents may cancel the learners permit or
  drivers license privileges at any time until the
  son/daughter is 18 years old.
• All driver license photographs are taken full
  faced, and licenses for minors show the date that
  the individual turns 18 and the date s/he turns
  21. Photographs are oriented vertically for
  minors age 15 21.

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Virginia Approaches (2000)

• Virginias Zero Tolerance law makes it illegal
  for personal under the age of 21 to drive with
  any measurable alcohol in their blood.
• Any individual under the age of 18 must attend a
  driver improvement clinic if he or she is
  convicted of a demerit point violation, and is
  then restricted to transporting no more than 3
  passengers while driving (in effect until age
  18). Conviction of a second demerit point
  offense suspends driving privileges for 90 days.
  For a third conviction, driving privileges are
  revoked for one year or until s/he turns 18,
  whichever is longer.

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PRIOR RESEARCH

• Driving is a complicated combination of
  cognitive, perceptual, and psychomotor tasks.

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PRIOR RESEARCH

• 2. Research documents that adolescents do not
  have the emotional, mental, and physical
  abilities of an adult.

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PRIOR RESEARCH

• 3. Young drivers also lack experience behind the
  wheel they have a relatively low repertoire of
  driving experiences upon which to draw.

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Themes, Findings, and Recommendations
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THEMES, FINDINGS, RECOMMENDATIONS Parents

• FINDINGS
• Parents currently have a large influence on their
  sons and daughters.
• Parents often have a perspective which conflicts
  with that held by safety personnel.
• Parents have a large potential role to play.

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THEMES, FINDINGS, RECOMMENDATIONS Parents

• RECOMMENDATIONS
• Initiatives should be prepared to help get
  parents up to date and knowledgeable about the
  influence they have with their sons and daughters
  regarding driving safety.
• Parents need to be more involved with substantive
  and quality time with their childs preparation
  as a driver.
• Parents need to conduct more oversight activities
  with their children regarding driving.

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THEMES, FINDINGS, RECOMMENDATIONS The Youth
Role

• FINDINGS
• Young drivers are generally viewed with
  skepticism.
• The youth perspective is not widely incorporated.

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AOD and Reckless Driving Convictions Percent
Per Age Group
THEMES, FINDINGS, RECOMMENDATIONS The Youth
Role
Percent
Age
Virginia 1999
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AOD and Reckless Driving Convictions Percent Per
Age Group
THEMES, FINDINGS, RECOMMENDATIONS The Youth
Role
Percent
Virginia 1999
Age
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High Risk, Safety Belt, and Speeding Convictions
Percent Per Age Group
THEMES, FINDINGS, RECOMMENDATIONS The Youth
Role
Percent
Age
Virginia 1999
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High Risk, Safety Belt, and Speeding Convictions
Percent Per Age Group
THEMES, FINDINGS, RECOMMENDATIONS The Youth
Role
Percent
Virginia 1999
Age
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Administrative Violations and Improper Driving
Convictions Percent Per Age Group
THEMES, FINDINGS, RECOMMENDATIONS The Youth
Role
Percent
Age
Virginia 1999
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Administrative Violations and Improper Driving
Convictions Percent Per Age Group
THEMES, FINDINGS, RECOMMENDATIONS The Youth
Role
Percent
Virginia 1999
Age
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THEMES, FINDINGS, RECOMMENDATIONS The Youth
Role

• RECOMMENDATIONS
• Youth need to be involved in the process of
  decision-making regarding young driver issues.

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THEMES, FINDINGS, RECOMMENDATIONS
Understanding Youth

• FINDINGS
• Youth have inadequately developed skills and
  abilities for safe driving.
• Youth attitudes about driving cause safety
  concerns.
• The context of driving can compromise driving
  safety.
• Youth behaviors linked with driving can further
  compromise safety.

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THEMES, FINDINGS, RECOMMENDATIONS
Understanding Youth

• RECOMMENDATIONS
• Professionals should incorporate current insights
  about the developmental processes faced by youth.
• Program planners should continually strive to
  better address the inadequately developed skills
  and attitudes held by youth.
• Promote ongoing examination of the context of
  driving.

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THEMES, FINDINGS, RECOMMENDATIONS
Understanding Youth

• RECOMMENDATIONS (contd)
• Continued emphasis must be maintained on issues
  such as drinking and driving and other risky
  individual behaviors.
• A positive reward system should be considered.
• Program planners and policy makers must
  differentiate between the early young driver and
  the later stage young driver.

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THEMES, FINDINGS, RECOMMENDATIONS Driver
Education

• FINDINGS
• Allocated hands-on driving skills training is
  inadequate.
• Driver education lacks sufficient practical
  training.
• Young drivers anticipation and response to
  situations are inadequate.
• Driver education does not include sufficient
  interactive elements and current emphasis of
  training activities.

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THEMES, FINDINGS, RECOMMENDATIONS Driver
Education

• FINDINGS (contd)
• There is an apparent inconsistency between
  identified state needs and current emphasis of
  training activities.
• There is a challenge of linking high-school based
  instructional needs with driver education.
• The court assigned driver improvement courses are
  viewed as less effective.

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THEMES, FINDINGS, RECOMMENDATIONS Driver
Education

• RECOMMENDATIONS
• Increased emphasis should be placed on hands-on
  driving skills.
• Driver education needs to be more practical.
• Defensive and offensive driving skills should be
  emphasized at a higher level.

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THEMES, FINDINGS, RECOMMENDATIONS Driver
Education

• RECOMMENDATIONS (contd)
• Current technological approaches should be
  incorporated to the extent possible.
• The formal driver education curriculum should be
  prepared in a way that adapts to change and
  maintains relevance and currency.
• Formal attention should be placed to reconcile
  the need for high quality education and the need
  for sound driver education.

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THEMES, FINDINGS, RECOMMENDATIONSChanges in
Youth and Society

• FINDINGS
• The context of youthful driving is substantively
  different today.
• Driving is increasingly perceived as a right
  among youth.

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THEMES, FINDINGS, RECOMMENDATIONSChanges in
Youth and Society

• RECOMMENDATIONS
• A perspective of anticipating a changed driving
  setting should always be maintained.
• Active attention must be implemented to promote
  the responsibility that individuals have
  regarding driving rather than the right that one
  has to drive.

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THEMES, FINDINGS, RECOMMENDATIONSOrganization
and Oversight

• FINDINGS
• Relationships among organizations do not support
  wide collaboration.
• The role of private companies in conducting
  driving curriculum could be posing problems.
• Some aspects of preparation and oversight of
  instructors are not adequate.

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THEMES, FINDINGS, RECOMMENDATIONSOrganization
and Oversight

• RECOMMENDATIONS
• A variety of agencies, organizations, and
  individuals should be involved in planning and
  reviewing the training issues surrounding young
  drivers.
• A clearer definition of inter-organizational
  communications is important to achieve
  consistency in driver education.

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THEMES, FINDINGS, RECOMMENDATIONSOrganization
and Oversight

• RECOMMENDATIONS (contd)
• Attention should be paid to the role of
  commercial driver education services.
• Preparation and oversight of driver education
  instructors should be improved.
• A close on-site examination of the driver
  education instruction content and process should
  be implemented.

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THEMES, FINDINGS, RECOMMENDATIONS
Enforcement,Consistency, and Judicial Role

• FINDINGS
• Lack of consistency appears to exist between the
  actions of police officers and judges.
• Judges roles may positively affect youth
  behavior.
• There is need for increased enforcement.

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THEMES, FINDINGS, RECOMMENDATIONS
Enforcement,Consistency, and Judicial Role

• RECOMMENDATIONS
• Enforcement of laws about driving safety should
  be increased.
• Differential consequences should be considered
  for young drivers involved in a safety offense
  with an aggravating circumstance.
• Judicial cases involving young drivers should be
  looked at individually.

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THEMES, FINDINGS, RECOMMENDATIONS Perspective
ofthe Graduated Drivers License

• FINDINGS
• The GDL is viewed as a panacea.
• The definitions of GDL vary.
• Curfews can be a part of a graduated drivers
  licensing initiative.

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THEMES, FINDINGS, RECOMMENDATIONS Perspective
ofthe Graduated Drivers License

• RECOMMENDATIONS
• Individual elements of the Graduated Drivers
  License initiative should be considered on their
  own merits.

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THEMES, FINDINGS, RECOMMENDATIONSUrban and
Rural Distinctions

• FINDINGS
• Distinctions exist between urban and rural areas.
• Programs are typically implemented with the
  assumptions of an urban setting.

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THEMES, FINDINGS, RECOMMENDATIONSUrban and
Rural Distinctions

• RECOMMENDATIONS
• In any policy-making process, local distinctions
  must be made.

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THEMES, FINDINGS, RECOMMENDATIONSNeed for
Evaluation and Dissemination

• FINDINGS
• Limited evaluation exists on young driver issues.
• Limited awareness of what others are doing to
  address young drivers is found.

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THEMES, FINDINGS, RECOMMENDATIONSNeed for
Evaluation and Dissemination

• RECOMMENDATIONS
• Evaluation systems, including outcome and process
  evaluations, should be actively implemented.
• Research and information gathering should be
  conducted to obtain insights about youth and
  current approaches in todays society.
• Findings and research should be disseminated
  widely.

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THEMES, FINDINGS, RECOMMENDATIONSEmerging
Approaches

• FINDINGS
• A range of proactive programs exist.

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THEMES, FINDINGS, RECOMMENDATIONSEmerging
Approaches

• RECOMMENDATIONS
• The DMV should examine the variety of new
  approaches to assess their usefulness and
  applicability to the state.

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Young Drivers
A Study of Policies and Practices

• www.caph.gmu.edu/young_drivers.htm