Graduated Driver's Licensing
Graduated driver's licenses are becoming increasingly popular, and more states are adopting them. It's a system designed to phase in young drivers as they mature and develop their driving skills.
- Graduated driver's licensing has three stages: a supervised learner's period, an intermediate license with limited unsupervised driving, then a license with full driving privileges.
- In states that have adopted this kind of licensing system, positive safety benefits have resulted. Michigan has seen a 25 percent reduction in the number of crashes involving young drivers; North Carolina and Ohio experienced a 23 percent reduction; and in Florida, a nine percent reduction has occurred.
- Critical components of graduated licensing include restricted night driving and restrictions on the number of passengers.
- Parents support graduated driver's licensing. A 2001 study, "Accident Analysis and Prediction", showed that 79 percent of parents of teens in California strongly favored the system. Surveys of parents in other states, including Florida, Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, and New York also showed strong support.
- Many medical, automotive, and safety groups also support graduated licensing.
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