TEENAGE DRIVER LICENSING IN RELATION TO STATE LAWS

Previous studies have shown that delaying licensure reduces motor vehicle injuries. This study examined the relationship between licensing laws and the timing of obtaining drivers licenses. The states studied have various laws, including minimum licensing ages of 15, 16, and 17; minimum learners permit ages of 15 and 16; and teenage night driving curfews. A questionnaire survey of 52,304 students was conducted in 75 high schools during the spring of 1983. The schools were selected from Orange County, California; rural Colorado; and most or all of Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, and New York. The results indicated that the minimum age of licensure has obvious strong effects in delaying licensure. Setting the learners permit age later also apparently delays licensure. The night driving curfew in New York State (9 p.m. - 5 a.m.) is seen by students as a factor in their decisions to delay obtaining licenses; Louisiana's 11 p.m. - 5 a.m. curfew has a much smaller effect, if any.

• Corporate Authors:

  Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

  1005 North Glebe Road
  Arlington, VA  United States  22201

  Dunlap and Associates, Incorporated

  17 Washington Street
  Norwalk, CT  United States  06854
• Authors:
  • Williams, A F
  • Preusser, D F
  • LUND, A K
• Publication Date: 1984-6

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 30 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Age; Curfew; Data collection; Driver licensing; Driving; Graduated licensing; Laws; Permits; Questionnaires; Regulation; Surveys; Teenage drivers
• Uncontrolled Terms: Night driving
• Geographic Terms: California; Colorado; Louisiana; Michigan; Mississippi; New Jersey; New York (State)
• Subject Areas: Highways; Law; Safety and Human Factors; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00395014
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• Report/Paper Numbers: Revision, HS-037 883
• Files: HSL, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Jun 30 1985 12:00AM