Graduated Driver Licensing Programs Are Associated with Fewer Fatal Accidents in 16-Year-Old Drivers

However, the programs were also linked with more fatal accidents in 18-year-olds.

Graduated driver licensing (GDL) laws allow full, unrestricted licensure for drivers younger than 18 years only after an initial period of supervised driving (learner's permit), followed by an intermediate period of unsupervised driving that limits night driving, transporting multiple young passengers, or both. These laws have been enacted in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Investigators reviewed a national database of fatal crashes from 1986 to 2007 to compare incidence of fatal accidents in teenagers under various licensing systems, including GDL, with programs that do not have any initial driving restrictions. GDL was classified as strong if it had both nighttime driving and youth passenger restrictions for unsupervised drivi…

Reviewing Author

F. Bruder Stapleton, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardCareer Physician

Editorial BoardsUpToDate

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesAmerican Society of Pediatric Nephrology Foundation (Chair)

F. Bruder Stapleton, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardCareer Physician

Editorial BoardsUpToDate

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesAmerican Society of Pediatric Nephrology Foundation (Chair)