young drivers: a study of policies and practices
TRANSCRIPT
Young Drivers:A Study of Policies and Practices
PREPARED BYDavid Anderson, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Amr Abdalla, Ph.D.Research and Evaluation Director
Noel Goldberg, M.S.Program Manager
Blakely Pomietto, M.P.H.Public Health Specialist
George Mason UniversityCenter for the Advancement of Public Health
Department of Health, Fitness, and Recreation ResourcesGraduate School of Education
PURPOSE
• To examine current approaches designed to best prepare and oversee young drivers in Virginia
• To glean what seems to be working
• To identify where adjustments and improvements appear to be warranted for consideration
• To improve existing policies and approaches for better dealing with young drivers
RATIONALE
As evidenced by the data, both from a national and state perspective, young drivers are disproportionately over-
represented in motor vehicle crashes.
METHODOLOGY
Nine distinct approaches to gather information:
1. Literature review2. Interviews with key informants3. National survey of state efforts4. Interviews with leaders from highway
safety, transportation, and state police in each state
5. National and state data
METHODOLOGY
6. Review of the status of Virginia jurisdiction curfew laws
7. Interviews with 5 officials in 60 Virginia jurisdictions
8. Focus groups with youth, parents, and driver instructors
9. Group discussion with key state officials
Virginia Approaches (2000)
1. A person must be 16 years old to obtain a driver’s license.
2. The applicant must pass a vision screening, a two-part knowledge exam, and a road skills test.
3. For juveniles under age 18, parents must provide permission for the license.
4. A learner’s permit may be obtained at the age of 15, and must be held until the person is 16 years old.
5. All those under age 19 must complete a state-approved driver education program.
Virginia Approaches (2000)
6. Teen drivers and their parents/legal guardians must participate in a Juvenile Licensing program in local courts, where the judge typically hands the license to the adult accompanying the juvenile.
7. Parents may cancel the learner’s permit or driver’s license privileges at any time until the son/daughter is 18 years old.
8. All driver license photographs are taken full faced, and licenses for minors show the date that the individual turns 18 and the date s/he turns 21. Photographs are oriented vertically for minors age 15 – 21.
Virginia Approaches (2000)
9. Virginia’s Zero Tolerance law makes it illegal for personal under the age of 21 to drive with any measurable alcohol in their blood.
10. Any individual under the age of 18 must attend a driver improvement clinic if he or she is convicted of a demerit point violation, and is then restricted to transporting no more than 3 passengers while driving (in effect until age 18). Conviction of a second demerit point offense suspends driving privileges for 90 days. For a third conviction, driving privileges are revoked for one year or until s/he turns 18, whichever is longer.
PRIOR RESEARCH
1. Driving is a complicated combination of cognitive, perceptual, and psychomotor tasks.
PRIOR RESEARCH
2. Research documents that adolescents do not have the emotional, mental, and physical abilities of an adult.
PRIOR RESEARCH
3. Young drivers also lack experience behind the wheel; they have a relatively low repertoire of driving experiences upon which to draw.
Themes, Findings, and Recommendations
THEMES, FINDINGS, & RECOMMENDATIONS: Parents
FINDINGS
• Parents currently have a large influence on their sons and daughters.
• Parents often have a perspective which conflicts with that held by safety personnel.
• Parents have a large potential role to play.
THEMES, FINDINGS, & RECOMMENDATIONS: Parents
RECOMMENDATIONS• Initiatives should be prepared to help get
parents up to date and knowledgeable about the influence they have with their sons and daughters regarding driving safety.
• Parents need to be more involved with substantive and quality time with their child’s preparation as a driver.
• Parents need to conduct more oversight activities with their children regarding driving.
THEMES, FINDINGS, & RECOMMENDATIONS: The Youth Role
FINDINGS
• Young drivers are generally viewed with skepticism.
• The youth perspective is not widely incorporated.
AOD and Reckless Driving Convictions: Percent Per Age Group
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
15-17
18-20
21-25
26-30
31-35
36-40
41-45
46-50
51-55
56-60
61-65
66-70
Over70
Alcohol and Other Drug Violations Reckless Driving
Age
Percent
THEMES, FINDINGS, & RECOMMENDATIONS: The Youth Role
Virginia 1999
AOD and Reckless Driving Convictions: Percent Per Age Group
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Alcohol andOther DrugViolations
RecklessDriving
Age
Percent
THEMES, FINDINGS, & RECOMMENDATIONS: The Youth Role
Virginia 1999
High Risk, Safety Belt, and Speeding Convictions: Percent Per Age Group
05
1015202530
High Risk Behavior Safety Belt Violations
Speeding Violations
Age
Percen
t
Virginia 1999
THEMES, FINDINGS, & RECOMMENDATIONS: The Youth Role
High Risk, Safety Belt, and Speeding Convictions: Percent Per Age Group
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
High RiskBehavior
Safety BeltViolations
SpeedingViolations
Age
Percen
tTHEMES, FINDINGS, & RECOMMENDATIONS: The Youth Role
Virginia 1999
Administrative Violations and Improper Driving Convictions: Percent Per Age Group
012345678
Administrative Violations Improper Driving
Age
Percen
t
Virginia 1999
THEMES, FINDINGS, & RECOMMENDATIONS: The Youth Role
Administrative Violations and Improper Driving Convictions: Percent Per Age Group
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
AdministrativeViolations
Improper Driving
Age
Percen
tTHEMES, FINDINGS, & RECOMMENDATIONS: The Youth Role
Virginia 1999
THEMES, FINDINGS, & RECOMMENDATIONS: The Youth Role
RECOMMENDATIONS
• Youth need to be involved in the process of decision-making regarding young driver issues.
THEMES, FINDINGS, & RECOMMENDATIONS: Understanding Youth
FINDINGS• Youth have inadequately developed
skills and abilities for safe driving.• Youth attitudes about driving cause
safety concerns.• The context of driving can compromise
driving safety.• Youth behaviors linked with driving can
further compromise safety.
THEMES, FINDINGS, & RECOMMENDATIONS: Understanding Youth
RECOMMENDATIONS• Professionals should incorporate
current insights about the developmental processes faced by youth.
• Program planners should continually strive to better address the inadequately developed skills and attitudes held by youth.
• Promote ongoing examination of the context of driving.
THEMES, FINDINGS, & RECOMMENDATIONS: Understanding Youth
RECOMMENDATIONS (cont’d)• Continued emphasis must be
maintained on issues such as drinking and driving and other risky individual behaviors.
• A positive reward system should be considered.
• Program planners and policy makers must differentiate between the early young driver and the later stage young driver.
THEMES, FINDINGS, & RECOMMENDATIONS: Driver Education
FINDINGS• Allocated hands-on driving skills
training is inadequate.• Driver education lacks sufficient
practical training.• Young drivers’ anticipation and
response to situations are inadequate.• Driver education does not include
sufficient interactive elements and current emphasis of training activities.
THEMES, FINDINGS, & RECOMMENDATIONS: Driver Education
FINDINGS (cont’d)• There is an apparent inconsistency
between identified state needs and current emphasis of training activities.
• There is a challenge of linking high-school based instructional needs with driver education.
• The court assigned driver improvement courses are viewed as less effective.
THEMES, FINDINGS, & RECOMMENDATIONS: Driver Education
RECOMMENDATIONS
• Increased emphasis should be placed on hands-on driving skills.
• Driver education needs to be more practical.
• Defensive and offensive driving skills should be emphasized at a higher level.
THEMES, FINDINGS, & RECOMMENDATIONS: Driver Education
RECOMMENDATIONS (cont’d)• Current technological approaches should
be incorporated to the extent possible.• The formal driver education curriculum
should be prepared in a way that adapts to change and maintains relevance and currency.
• Formal attention should be placed to reconcile the need for high quality education and the need for sound driver education.
THEMES, FINDINGS, & RECOMMENDATIONS:Changes in Youth and Society
FINDINGS
• The context of youthful driving is substantively different today.
• Driving is increasingly perceived as a right among youth.
THEMES, FINDINGS, & RECOMMENDATIONS:Changes in Youth and Society
RECOMMENDATIONS• A perspective of anticipating a changed
driving setting should always be maintained.
• Active attention must be implemented to promote the responsibility that individuals have regarding driving rather than the right that one has to drive.
THEMES, FINDINGS, & RECOMMENDATIONS:Organization and Oversight
FINDINGS• Relationships among organizations do
not support wide collaboration.• The role of private companies in
conducting driving curriculum could be posing problems.
• Some aspects of preparation and oversight of instructors are not adequate.
THEMES, FINDINGS, & RECOMMENDATIONS:Organization and Oversight
RECOMMENDATIONS
• A variety of agencies, organizations, and individuals should be involved in planning and reviewing the training issues surrounding young drivers.
• A clearer definition of inter-organizational communications is important to achieve consistency in driver education.
RECOMMENDATIONS (cont’d)• Attention should be paid to the role of
commercial driver education services.• Preparation and oversight of driver
education instructors should be improved.
• A close on-site examination of the driver education instruction content and process should be implemented.
THEMES, FINDINGS, & RECOMMENDATIONS:Organization and Oversight
THEMES, FINDINGS, & RECOMMENDATIONS: Enforcement,Consistency, and Judicial Role
FINDINGS• Lack of consistency appears to exist
between the actions of police officers and judges.
• Judges’ roles may positively affect youth behavior.
• There is need for increased enforcement.
THEMES, FINDINGS, & RECOMMENDATIONS: Enforcement,Consistency, and Judicial Role
RECOMMENDATIONS• Enforcement of laws about driving
safety should be increased.• Differential consequences should be
considered for young drivers involved in a safety offense with an aggravating circumstance.
• Judicial cases involving young drivers should be looked at individually.
THEMES, FINDINGS, & RECOMMENDATIONS: Perspective ofthe Graduated Drivers License
FINDINGS
• The GDL is viewed as a panacea.
• The definitions of GDL vary.
• Curfews can be a part of a graduated drivers licensing initiative.
RECOMMENDATIONS
• Individual elements of the Graduated Drivers License initiative should be considered on their own merits.
THEMES, FINDINGS, & RECOMMENDATIONS: Perspective ofthe Graduated Drivers License
FINDINGS
• Distinctions exist between urban and rural areas.
• Programs are typically implemented with the assumptions of an urban setting.
THEMES, FINDINGS, & RECOMMENDATIONS:Urban and Rural Distinctions
RECOMMENDATIONS
• In any policy-making process, local distinctions must be made.
THEMES, FINDINGS, & RECOMMENDATIONS:Urban and Rural Distinctions
FINDINGS
• Limited evaluation exists on young driver issues.
• Limited awareness of what others are doing to address young drivers is found.
THEMES, FINDINGS, & RECOMMENDATIONS:Need for Evaluation and Dissemination
RECOMMENDATIONS• Evaluation systems, including outcome
and process evaluations, should be actively implemented.
• Research and information gathering should be conducted to obtain insights about youth and current approaches in today’s society.
• Findings and research should be disseminated widely.
THEMES, FINDINGS, & RECOMMENDATIONS:Need for Evaluation and Dissemination
FINDINGS
• A range of proactive programs exist.
THEMES, FINDINGS, & RECOMMENDATIONS:Emerging Approaches
RECOMMENDATIONS
• The DMV should examine the variety of new approaches to assess their usefulness and applicability to the state.
THEMES, FINDINGS, & RECOMMENDATIONS:Emerging Approaches
Young Drivers:
www.caph.gmu.edu/young_drivers.htm
A Study of Policies and Practices