Views of parents of teenagers about licensing policies: a national survey

Assessing the American public's preferences for reforms to teen driving licensure systems: a discrete choice experiment

OBJECTIVES

To analyse factors influencing the American public's preferences for changes to teenage driver licensing requirements.

METHODS

We employed a discrete choice experiment (DCE) with 808 participants from National Opinion Research Center's AmeriSpeak panel to assess preferences for two existing elements (on-road testing and intermediate licensure period) and a new feature (driver monitoring with telematics during the intermediate licensure period) of licensing system. Multinomial and mixed logit models were used to estimate preference weights, marginal rates of substitution and the relative importance of each attribute.

RESULTS

Among 730 respondents who completed all DCE choice tasks, we found robust support for changes to teenage driver licensing requirements, with preferences varying by individual characteristics. Respondents expressed a high baseline support for changes to teen driving licensure policies. They favoured testing, prioritising easy tests and opposed prolonged driver monitoring and extended intermediate licensure periods. Baseline preference weights exhibited substantial heterogeneity, emphasising the diversity of public preferences. The marginal rates of substitution revealed a preference for extended driver monitoring over an extended intermediate licensure period. An easy test was valued at 2.85 times more than a hard one. The most influential attributes were the length of intermediate licence period and testing requirements, with the former twice as important.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study found robust support for reforms to teenage driver licensing requirements, favouring easier on-road driving tests over an extended period of intermediate licensure and driver monitoring. Public preferences for licensing systems need to be balanced with the broader policy objectives including optimising mobility and maximising safety.

Design and implementation of a parent guide for coaching teen drivers

INTRODUCTION

Teens beginning to drive independently are at significant increased risk of motor-vehicle crashes relative to their other life stages. There is, however, little guidance for parents as to how best to supervise learning to drive.

METHOD

This study sought to undertake an informed approach to development and implementation of a Parent Guide. We included a multi-stage development process, using theory, findings from a Delphi-study of young driver traffic-safety experts, and parent focus groups. This process informed the development of a Guide that was then evaluated for feasibility and acceptability, comparing a group that received the Guide with a control group of parent and teen dyads. Both members of the dyads were surveyed at baseline, again at the approximate time teens would be licensed to drive independently (post-test), and again three months later.

RESULTS

We found no difference in the proportion of teens who became licensed between those given the new Guide and control teens (who received the state-developed booklet); that is the Guide did not appear to promote or delay licensure. Teens in the Guide group reported that their parents were more likely to use the provided resource compared with control teens. Responses indicated that the Parent Guide was favorably viewed, that it was easy to use, and that the logging of hours was a useful inclusion. Parents noted that the Guide helped them manage their stress, provided strategies to keep calm, and helped with planning practice. In contrast, control parents noted that their booklet helped explain rules. Among licensed teens there was no significant difference in self-reported risky driving at the three-month follow-up. We discuss the challenges in providing motivation for parents to move beyond a set number of practice hours to provide diversity of driving practice.

Who's not driving among U.S. high school seniors: A closer look at race/ethnicity, socioeconomic factors, and driving status

OBJECTIVES

We examined associations among race/ethnicity, socioeconomic factors, and driving status in a nationally representative sample of >26,000 U.S. high school seniors.

METHODS

Weighted data from the 2012 and 2013 Monitoring the Future surveys were combined and analyzed. We imputed missing values using fully conditional specification multiple imputation methods. Multivariate logistic regression modeling was conducted to explore associations among race/ethnicity, socioeconomic factors, and driving status, while accounting for selected student behaviors and location. Lastly, odds ratios were converted to prevalence ratios.

RESULTS

23% of high school seniors did not drive during an average week; 14% of white students were nondrivers compared to 40% of black students. Multivariate analysis revealed that minority students were 1.8 to 2.5 times more likely to be nondrivers than their white counterparts, and students who had no earned income were 2.8 times more likely to be nondrivers than those earning an average of ≥$36 a week. Driving status also varied considerably by student academic performance, number of parents in the household, parental education, census region, and urbanicity.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that resources-both financial and time-influence when or whether a teen will learn to drive. Many young people from minority or lower socioeconomic families who learn to drive may be doing so after their 18th birthday and therefore would not take advantage of the safety benefits provided by graduated driver licensing. Innovative approaches may be needed to improve safety for these young novice drivers.

Young driver licensing: examination of population-level rates using New Jersey's state licensing database

Recent surveys have provided insight on the primary reasons why US teens delay licensure but are limited in their ability to estimate licensing rates and trends. State administrative licensing data are the ideal source to provide this information but have not yet been analyzed for this purpose. Our objective was to analyze New Jersey's (NJ) licensing database to: (1) describe population-based rates of licensure among 17- to 20-year-olds, overall and by gender and zip code level indicators of household income, population density, and race/ethnicity; and (2) examine recent trends in licensure. We obtained records on all licensed NJ drivers through June 2012 from the NJ Motor Vehicle Commission's licensing database and determined each young driver's age at the time of intermediate and full licensure. Data from the US Census and American Community Survey were used to estimate a fixed cohort of NJ residents who turned 17 years old in 2006-2007 (n=255,833). Licensing data were used to estimate the number of these drivers who obtained an intermediate license by each month of age (numerators) and, among those who obtained an intermediate license, time to graduation to full licensure. Overall, 40% of NJ residents-and half of those who ultimately obtained a license by age 21-were licensed within a month of NJ's minimum licensing age of 17, 64% by their 18th birthday, and 81% by their 21st birthday. Starkly different patterns of licensure were observed by socioeconomic indicators; for example, 65% of 17-year-olds residing in the highest-income zip codes were licensed in the first month of eligibility compared with 13% of residents living in the lowest-income zip codes. The younger an individual obtained their intermediate license, the earlier they graduated to a full license. Finally, the rate and timing of licensure in NJ has been relatively stable from 2006 to 2012, with at most a 1-3% point decline in rates. These findings support the growing body of literature suggesting that teens delay licensure primarily for economic reasons and that a substantial proportion of potentially high-risk teens may be obtaining licenses outside the auspices of a graduated driver licensing system. Finally, our finding of a relatively stable trend in licensure in recent years is in contrast to national-level reports of a substantial decline in licensure rates.

Experiences of teen drivers and their advice for the learner license phase

OBJECTIVE

Teen drivers remain at considerable risk of injury and fatality during the earliest years of independent driving. Multistage licensing programs, such as graduated driver licensing (GDL), have been implemented in numerous jurisdictions as a form of exposure control, mandating minimum practice periods and driving restrictions such as night driving and passenger limits. However, the teen driver's experiences of GDL during the learner phase, and the driving and other advice they recommend be shared with all learners, remains unknown at this time.

METHODS

Thirty-seven learner drivers (aged 16-18 years, mean = 16.7, mode = 16; 9 males) from 2 high schools (one private, 3 males; one public) participated in one of 2 (group 1: private school, n = 17) 45-min group discussions.

RESULTS

Two themes emerged: (1) learning to drive and (2) supervision of the learner driver. A wealth of experiences and advice pertaining to the subthemes of supervisor behavior, GDL, road environment, vehicle logistics, and interacting with other road users were shared by learners. Numerous recommendations are made pertaining to each subtheme, such as clear instruction and feedback, tips for negotiating complex infrastructure, and normalizing of outcomes like stalled vehicles when first learning to drive. Furthermore, it appears that current approaches of issuing supporting literature at the commencement of the learner phase are insufficient.

CONCLUSIONS

The wealth of experiences and advice shared by the learner drivers should be considered in refining the content and process of the learner license phase. Moreover, the nonuse of learner resources suggests that alternative mechanisms of engagement and information dissemination need to be explored.

Characteristics of teens-with-teens fatal crashes in the United States, 2005-2010

BACKGROUND

More than 40% of fatal crashes of 16- and 17-year-old drivers occur when transporting teenagers. Characteristics of this predominant crash type and prevention possibilities are described, based on data from fatal crashes in the United States during 2005-2010.

RESULTS

Fifty-seven percent of 16- and 17-year old drivers in fatal crashes had at least one passenger. Most commonly, all passengers were ages 13-19 (42% of all drivers and 73% of those with passengers). Of fatal crashinvolved drivers with teenage passengers and no passengers of other ages, 56% had one passenger, 24% had two, and 20% had three or more. Most frequently, passengers were the same sex and within one year of the driver. Risk factors involving speeding, alcohol use, late-night driving, lack of a valid license, seat belt non-use, and crash responsibility were more prevalent with teenage passengers than when driving alone, and the prevalence of these factors increased with the number of teenage passengers. Many risk factors were most prevalent with passengers ages 20-29, although few crashes had this occupant configuration. Risk factors were least prevalent with a passenger 30 or older.

DISCUSSION

Fatal crashes of 16- and 17-year-old drivers with teen passengers are a common crash scenario, despite passenger restrictions in 42 states and the District of Columbia during some or all of the study period. The proportion of these fatal crashes decreased slightly from 46% in 1995 (pre-GDL) to 43% in 2010 and showed no signs of decreasing during the six-year study period (range 41% to 43%).

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

Existing passenger restrictions are relatively weak and could be strengthened. Fatal crashes involving teen passengers, especially multiple passengers, are more likely to involve alcohol, late-night driving, driver error, and invalid licensure, so stepped-up enforcement of existing laws involving these behaviors might reduce the prevalence of such crashes.

Public opinion on motor vehicle-related injury prevention policies: a systematic review of a decade of research

OBJECTIVE

Legislation is an effective strategy for reducing road-related fatalities and injuries. Public opinion can be an impetus for passing new laws and can affect the success of their implementation, but little is known about the current state of public opinion toward existing and proposed road-related policies in the United States. This review describes the scope and results of research on public support for state- and local-level evidence-based motor vehicle- and bicycle-related policies. We identify gaps in our understanding of public support for these policies.

METHODS

Published U.S. literature and all reports from the NHTSA from the past decade (2003-2012) were searched for data on opinions about existing or proposed policies related to motor vehicle or bicycle injury prevention. Twenty-six studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria. In all, studies reported public opinion about 7 injury prevention topic areas: all-terrain vehicles (n = 1), automated enforcement with red light and speed cameras (n = 5), distracted driving (n = 4), drinking and driving (n = 5), graduated driver licensing (n = 7), helmets (n = 7), and seat belts (n = 4). Twenty-three studies focused only on one topic, and 3 sought public opinion about multiple topic areas.

RESULTS

The studies revealed generally high levels of support for injury prevention policies in all topic areas. Fifteen studies collected information from national samples, and only 7 studies reported data from the state (n = 5) or local (n = 2) level.

CONCLUSIONS

There is a relatively small evidence base on public opinion related to motor vehicle- and bicycle-related evidence-based policies; even less is less known for state- or county-specific policies. The findings of this review suggest that the public's opinion toward injury prevention legislation is generally favorable. This information can be used to communicate with the media and policy makers to reinforce the need for effective policy solutions to continuing motor vehicle injury problems. More research is needed to understand the perspectives of those who do not hold favorable opinions, to understand opinions toward local or state-level policies, and to monitor trends in public opinion over time. Supplemental materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Traffic Injury Prevention to view the supplemental file.

Teen driving in rural North Dakota: a qualitative look at parental perceptions

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among teens in the United States. Graduated driver licensing (GDL) programs allow new drivers to gain driving experience while protecting them from high-risk situations. North Dakota was one of the last states to implement GDL, and the current program does not meet all of the best practice recommendations. This study used qualitative techniques to explore parents' perceptions of the role teen driving plays in the daily lives of rural North Dakota families, their understanding of the risks faced by their novice teen drivers, and their support for GDL. A total of 28 interviews with parents of teens aged 13-16 years were conducted in four separate rural areas of the state. During the face-to-face interviews, parents described their teens' daily lives as busy, filled with school, sports, and other activities that often required traveling considerable distances. Participation in school-sponsored sports and other school-related activities was highly valued. There was nearly unanimous support for licensing teens at age 14½, as was permitted by law at the time of the interviews. Parents expressed that they were comfortable supervising their teen's practice driving, and few reported using resources to assist them in this role. Although few parents expressed concerns over nighttime driving, most parents supported a nighttime driving restriction with exemptions for school, work or sports-related activities. Despite many parents expressing concern over distracted driving, there was less consistent support among parents for passenger restrictions, especially if there would be no exemptions for family members or school activities. These findings can assist in planning policies and programs to reduce crashes among novice, teen drivers, while taking into account the unique perspectives and lifestyles of families living in rural North Dakota.

New Jersey's license plate decal requirement for graduated driver licenses: attitudes of parents and teenagers, observed decal use, and citations for teenage driving violations

OBJECTIVES

On May 1, 2010, New Jersey implemented a law requiring teenagers with learner's permits or probationary licenses to display reflective decals on the front and rear license plates when they drive. The current study examined attitudes of parents and teenagers toward this requirement, use of decals, and reported violations and police enforcement of the graduated driver license law.

METHOD

Statewide telephone surveys of representative samples of parents and teenagers were conducted in February to April 2010 and March to June 2011. Use of decals among probationary license holders was observed at 4 high schools in fall 2010 and in spring 2011 and hand-out surveys were distributed. Data on citations issued for violations of the graduated driver license law were obtained.

RESULTS

When interviewed in spring 2011, a large majority of parents of probationary license holders, parents of learner's permit holders, and teenagers with probationary licenses disapproved of decals for probationary licenses. About two thirds of both sets of parents and about half of teenagers disapproved of decals for learner's permits. Support for decals for both license types declined significantly from 2010 to 2011. For parents and teenagers alike, opposition was mainly attributed to concern about identifying and/or targeting teenage drivers by other drivers, predators, or police. In 2011, 77 percent of parents of probationary license holders said that their teenagers had decals for the vehicles driven most often; 46 percent said their teenagers always used decals. Fifty-six percent of parents of learner's permit holders said that their teenagers had decals for the vehicles driven most often; 37 percent said that their teenagers always used decals. Teenagers' reported violations of license restrictions either increased or were similar in 2011 compared to 2010. Observed rates of decal use by probationary license holders at high schools in spring 2011 ranged from 24 to 64 percent. The number of statewide citations for teenage licensing law violations doubled in the year after the decal requirement took effect compared to the prior year. Excluding decal violations, citations increased by 52 percent.

CONCLUSIONS

Early examination of New Jersey's decal requirement found widespread opposition, primarily due to concerns about identifying/targeting teenage drivers, though first-hand reports of such incidents were very rare. Many teenagers do not use the decals. Increased issuance of citations for violations of the teenage licensing law suggests that decals are facilitating police enforcement. However, based on teenagers' self-reports, the requirement does not appear to have achieved the ultimate goal of increased compliance.

Licensing age issues: deliberations from a workshop devoted to this topic

OBJECTIVE

To highlight the issues and discuss the research evidence regarding safety, mobility, and other consequences of different licensing ages.

METHODS

Information included is based on presentations and discussions at a 1-day workshop on licensing age issues and a review and synthesis of the international literature.

RESULTS

The literature indicates that higher licensing ages are associated with safety benefits. There is an associated mobility loss, more likely to be an issue in rural states. Legislative attempts to raise the minimum age for independent driving in the United States--for example, from 16 to 17--have been resisted, although in some states the age has been raised indirectly through graduated driver licensing (GDL) policies.

CONCLUSIONS

Jurisdictions can achieve reductions in teenage crashes by raising the licensing age. This can be done directly or indirectly by strengthening GDL systems, in particular extending the minimum length of the learner period. Supplementary materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Traffic Injury Prevention for the following supplemental resource: List of workshop participants.

Graduated driver licensing research, 2010-present

This is the latest in a series of reviews of research on graduated driver licensing (GDL) published in the Journal of Safety Research, covering the period January 1, 2010-June 1, 2012 and works in progress. The intent is to keep researchers and policy makers current regarding the existing state of knowledge about GDL, and to identify information gaps and areas where clarification of research findings are needed. The recent research indicates that we continue to learn about ways to extend GDL benefits, but there remain important questions in need of further inquiry. In terms of impact on industry, the review provides guidance for the future GDL research agenda.

Teenagers' licensing decisions and their views of licensing policies: a national survey

OBJECTIVE

One objective was to determine teenage licensing rates on a national basis, interest in early licensure, and reasons for delay. A second objective was to learn teenagers' opinions about licensing policies, important in states considering ways to upgrade their current licensing systems.

METHODS

One thousand three hundred eighty-three 15- to 18-year-olds completed an online survey in November 2010. They were drawn from a nationally representative panel of US households recruited using probability-based sampling. The panel included cell phone-only households, and Internet access was provided to those without it. Weighting procedures were applied so that the study population represented the national US population of 15- to 18-year-olds.

RESULTS

Most teens said that they were interested in getting a license as soon as legally possible, but many had not started the process. At 16, teens were about equally divided among those who had not started, those in the learner stage, and those with a restricted or full license. At 18, 62 percent had full licenses; 22 percent had not started. For those old enough to start, lack of a car, costs, parent availability, ability to get around without a car, and being busy with other activities were leading reasons for delay. The majority of teens were not in favor of higher licensing ages. Forty-six percent thought the minimum learner age should be 16; 30 percent thought the full license age should be 18 or older. The majority approved of night (78%) and passenger (57%) restrictions, and 85 and 93 percent endorsed cell phone and texting bans, respectively. When these policies were packaged together in a single law that included an age 16 start, night, passenger, cell phone and texting bans, and a full license at age 18, 74 percent of teens were in favor.

CONCLUSIONS

Teenagers are not as supportive of strong licensing policies as parents of teens, but there is evidence that they will support comprehensive policies likely to lead to further reductions in teen crash rates.

Commentary: graduated licensing--moving forward or standing still?

The widespread application of graduated driver licensing (GDL), starting in the mid-1990s, has greatly reduced young driver crashes. Substantial further reductions are possible by raising the licensing age to 17. This can be done indirectly, through extension of GDL policies (minimum learner age of 16, one-year holding period), or by legislation directly establishing 17 as the licensing age. Other approaches are likely to have limited impact.