Panel:What's New in Novice Teen Driver Public Policy

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PanelWhat's New in Novice Teen Driver Public
Policy?
Whats Not in your Wallet Young Unlicensed
Driving in the U.S
Chris Hanna Childrens Safety Network Michigan
Public Health Institute
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Good News

• GDL programs have reduced the youngest drivers
  crash risk by roughly 20-40

Results should be interpreted cautiously with
variations in the level of effectiveness,
compliance, exposure, and definitions.
Graduated driver licensing Review of evaluation
results since 2002, Shope JT. Journal of Safety
Research 38 (2007) 165-175
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YUD Crash Studies

• Self report
• 10-50 report pre-licensed driving
• Fatal crash
• One nine of all young driver fatal crashes
  involves a young unlicensed drive
• Not normally distributed

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Increasing parent limits on young novice drivers

• Young people were interviewed prior to licensing
  (n4344).
• 13 did not get a license in the next 12 months
  and were significantly different then licensed
  peers
• Lower family incomes
• Younger parents
• Higher adolescent age
• Unmarried parents
• Lower educated parents
• Lower GPA
• More likely to be racial minorities

Simons-Morton BG et al.
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Californias graduated driver license law
Effects on older teenagers

• Significant increase in fatal crash involvement
  of teen unlicensed drivers after GDL from
  1995-2004(5)
• Before GDL lt18 19.4 18-19 22.5
• After GDL lt18 28.9 18-19 25.8
• unlicensed driver among 20-44 remained stable
• 1995-2005
• Before GDL 23 After GDL 34
• Before GDL 22 After GDL 29
• unlicensed driver among 20-44 years decreased

Males, M
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Understanding subgroups of novice drivers

• Youth from different socio-economic backgrounds
  have different opportunities to practice driving

Berg H-Y 2001. Understanding subgroups of novice
drivers. A basis for increased health and safety.
PhD thesis, Faculty of Health Sciences Linköping
University
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Emerging and Emergent Issues

• Mobility bias in policy
• Behavioral
• Social context
• Limitations in studies

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• How does GDL affect the disadvantaged families
  living in marginal areas?
• What proportion of teens (and which teens) delay
  licensure until age 18 to avoid GDL?
• Does GDL lead to some teens driving unlicensed,
  and if so, which ones, why and to what extent?
• As costs and responsibilities increase is the
  access to training and licensing equal?
• How big is the problem?

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Method to the Madness
Barriers to licensing
Area features
Local self-report
YUD

• Poster session 30

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Chris Hanna Childrens Safety Network Michigan
Public Health Institute channa_at_mphi.org 517-324-
8344