HOW OLD IS OLD ENOUGH? THE LICENSING-AGE QUESTION

This article presents an argument, not for raising the licensing age, but for a graduated licensing system that would introduce teens to the driving experience under controlled conditions. It is noted that there are two important issues that need to be addressed in considersing the value of increasing the age of driver licensure: the tradeoff between safety and mobility, and the error rates associated with the acquisition of any complex skill. Each of these areas is discussed in detail. Driver education must be coordinated with parental involvement and with the licensing process. Licensing authorities need to develop several stages of licensure with each step based on evidence of sufficient skill as well as sufficient monitored practice. Restrictions on early driving should include curfew laws and a zero blood alcohol level. Provisional license requirements could be superimposed on the system whereby graduation to the next stage of licensure is dependent upon maintenance of a clean driving record.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00410721
• Corporate Authors:

  National Safety Council

  444 North Michigan Avenue
  Chicago, IL  United States  60611
• Authors:
  • Waller, P F
• Publication Date: 1988-3

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 6-8
• Serial:
  • Traffic Safety (Chicago)
  • Volume: 88
  • Issue Number: 2
  • Publisher: National Safety Council
  • ISSN: 0041-0721

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Adolescents; Age; Curfew; Driver education; Driver licensing; Drivers; Highway safety; Mobility; Parents
• Uncontrolled Terms: Driver age
• Subject Areas: Highways; Law; Safety and Human Factors; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00467845
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Mar 31 1988 12:00AM