The following is an excerpt of an article that appeared in the Summer 2006 issue of MOVE magazine. To order a back copy of this issue or to subscribe contact AAMVA at (703) 522-4200.
By Kyra Scarton Newman
Consider the standard rites of passage for high school students: attending Friday night football or basketball games, going to prom or homecoming dances, and waiting for a class ring to arrive. Most students won’t let their parents overlook something perhaps more important—getting a driver’s license. And no rite of passage probably carries more risk for young drivers and their friends and families.
After recognizing growing numbers of fatalities and crashes involving teen drivers and victims—the leading cause of death among American teens—states and provinces began searching for ways to ease novice drivers more safely onto the roadways. The search for a solution led to a licensing system that generally requires greater supervised training and limits on nighttime driving and passengers in the car.
Now, a decade after the first graduated driver licensing (GDL) programs took effect, safety advocates point to lives saved—including double-digit drops in crashes among 16-year-old drivers from North Carolina to Nova Scotia, from Ohio to Michigan—and more.
“We know that it works,” said Jim Wright, highway safety specialist with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
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The GDL has revolutionized the way drivers are licensed. Jurisdictions are continuing to refine and adapt the system for today's teens.
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