Meta-Analysis of Graduated Driver Licensing Laws

The objective of the present study was to assess the effectiveness of graduated driver licensing (GDL) programs for reducing total, injury, and fatal crashes among drivers 15 to 20 years old by conducting a meta-analysis of GDL research since 2001 that evaluated the effectiveness of GDL systems overall and GDL components individually. The final sample of 14 selected studies represented 13 different States, and three represented GDL programs across most or all U.S. States. Results of the meta-analysis showed that GDL programs as a whole were associated with statistically reliable reductions in traffic crashes outcomes of 16 percent for 16-year-olds and 11 percent for 17-year-olds, but were not reliably associated with changes in crash outcomes for 18- or 19-year-olds. Unfortunately, the numbers of effect sizes representing the unique effects of individual GDL components and calibrations were small for most of the components, particularly when stratified by the ranges of possible calibrations for those components. Although the exact effectiveness of individual GDL provisions could not be determined, the meta-analysis uncovered no indication that any provision was necessarily counterproductive for the GDL target audience of 16- and 17-year olds. Thus, a reasonable strategy for any State considering passage of a GDL law might involve enumerating the full range of provisions applicable to that State, determining which could be reasonably operationalized given available resources and support from key agencies and organizations, and adopting as comprehensive an approach as possible.

• Record URL:
  http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nti/pdf/812211-MetaAnalysisGDLLaws.pdf
• 
• Corporate Authors:

  Dunlap and Associates, Incorporated

  110 Lenox Avenue
  Stamford, CT  United States  06906-2300

  National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

  Office of Behavioral Safety Research, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Masten, Scott V
  • Thomas, F Dennis
  • Korbelak, Kristopher T
  • Peck, Raymond C
  • Blomberg, Richard D
• Publication Date: 2015-11

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Edition: Final Report
• Features: Appendices; Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 93p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Age; Crash rates; Fatalities; Graduated licensing; Literature reviews; Meta-analysis; State laws; Teenage drivers
• Geographic Terms: United States
• Subject Areas: Highways; Law; Safety and Human Factors; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01583603
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: DOT HS 812 211, 261-1
• Contract Numbers: DTNH22-11-D-00225, Task Order 1
• Files: HSL, TRIS, ATRI, USDOT
• Created Date: Dec 23 2015 8:11AM