Citation

Rosenberg ML, Martinez R. Pediatrics 1996; 98(5): 959-960.

Affiliation

National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1996, American Academy of Pediatrics)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

8909493

Abstract

the American Academy of Pediatrics has taken a strong stand for safety in their policy statement entitled "The Teenage Driver." Among their recommendations, they call for graduated licensure for teenage drivers, a position we believe shows promise. Passing such legislation could be a critical step in reducing the leading cause of death in youth from 16 through 20 years old: motor vehicle crashes. Although teens constitute only 7% of the population of the United States, they account for 14% of all motor-vehicle deaths. More than 5000 teens die and about a half-million are injured each year in traffic deaths. Their motor-vehicle fatality rate (31 per 100 000 people) exceeds that of any other age group, and nearly 60% of teens who die in crashes are drivers.

Graduated licensure inserts a critical intermediate stage, called provisional licensing, between the learner's permit and full licensure. This stage provides time for the novice driver to acquire sound driving skills and habits by practicing in a lower risk environment, such as driving only during daylight hours, abstaining from any alcohol use, having all occupants properly restrained, and not being distracted or influenced by having other teens in the vehicle. Infractions that involve high-risk behaviors such as speeding or reckless driving can result in penalties that are more severe than those applied to more experienced drivers. Likewise, driver improvement actions like license suspension or more driver education can take place earlier or with fewer points for novice drivers than for older drivers with an unrestricted license. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has suggested a minimum age of 15 1/2: years to apply for a learner's permit, 16 years with 6 months clean driving record for provisional licensure, and 18 years with 1 year clean driving record for full licensure. We recognize that individual state legislatures, rather than the federal government, are responsible for state motor-vehicle licensure laws, and that they would choose among the possible provisions and establish the minimum age requirements best suited to their constituents.