AAA: Make Teens Wait For Driver Licenses

MINNEAPOLIS -- Should every state withhold full driving privileges until teens have demonstrated a responsible record on the road?

Most states have enacted some form of the so-called "graduated driver licensing" programs. On Wednesday, the American Automobile Association released figures aimed at encouraging the adoption of a tough nationwide waiting-period system.

AAA officials projected that a strict "GDL" law could prevent 1.5 million crashes, 500,000 injuries and 500 deaths for 16 to 17-year-old drivers over the next decade -- along with sparing $9 billion in expense. For an individual state, that's an estimated 15 percent reduction in crashes and injuries and a 2.5 percent reduction in teen deaths.

The AAA based its estimates on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's recent study of injuries and crashes in states that adopted GDL programs.

Motor vehicle crashes are the number one killer of teens, AAA noted. While drivers aged 15 to 20 account for only 7 percent of the driving population, AAA says they are involved in nearly 20 percent of all crashes and 14 percent of fatal traffic crashes.

With graduated driver's licenses, a teenager can drive with restrictions -- including limits on the hour and other teens in the car -- until driving for a year or more without crashes or convictions.

The travel organization said that for a nationwide graduated license program to be most effective in reducing teen crashes, it should include the following restrictions on younger drivers:

Nighttime driving restrictions -- no driving during late-night hours without a licensed adult in the vehicle.
Passenger restrictions -- a limit of how many other teenagers can be in the car.
A learner's permit phase.
Incentives to encourage the young driver to stay crash- and conviction- free. Typically, a teen must avoid crashes and convictions for six months to move from a learner's permit to a provisional license, and for another 12 months before receiving a full license.

In 1997, just eight states had graduated laws when AAA began campaigning for the restrictions. Today, 44 states and the District of Columbia have GDL laws, the organization said.

AAA posted a map of the U.S. on its Web site showing which states did not have graduated licensing as of mid-February 2001 (states colored in red), those that did have graduated driver licensing (colored blue). Click the blue states for details of that state's law. Go to the map. For an explanation of the requirements, see this Web page by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration.