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Young Drivers:

Young Drivers:. A Study of Policies and Practices. PREPARED BY. David 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 University

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Young Drivers:

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  1. Young Drivers: A Study of Policies and Practices

  2. PREPARED BY David 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 University Center for the Advancement of Public Health Department of Health, Fitness, and Recreation Resources Graduate School of Education

  3. 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

  4. RATIONALE As evidenced by the data, both from a national and state perspective, young drivers are disproportionately over-represented in motor vehicle crashes.

  5. METHODOLOGY Nine distinct approaches to gather information: • Literature review • Interviews with key informants • National survey of state efforts • Interviews with leaders from highway safety, transportation, and state police in each state • National and state data

  6. METHODOLOGY • Review of the status of Virginia jurisdiction curfew laws • Interviews with 5 officials in 60 Virginia jurisdictions • Focus groups with youth, parents, and driver instructors • Group discussion with key state officials

  7. Virginia Approaches (2000) • A person must be 16 years old to obtain a driver’s license. • The applicant must pass a vision screening, a two-part knowledge exam, and a road skills test. • For juveniles under age 18, parents must provide permission for the license. • A learner’s permit may be obtained at the age of 15, and must be held until the person is 16 years old. • All those under age 19 must complete a state-approved driver education program.

  8. Virginia Approaches (2000) • 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. • Parents may cancel the learner’s permit or driver’s license privileges at any time until the son/daughter is 18 years old. • 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.

  9. Virginia Approaches (2000) • Virginia’s Zero Tolerance law makes it illegal for personal under the age of 21 to drive with any measurable alcohol in their blood. • 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.

  10. PRIOR RESEARCH • Driving is a complicated combination of cognitive, perceptual, and psychomotor tasks.

  11. PRIOR RESEARCH 2. Research documents that adolescents do not have the emotional, mental, and physical abilities of an adult.

  12. PRIOR RESEARCH 3. Young drivers also lack experience behind the wheel; they have a relatively low repertoire of driving experiences upon which to draw.

  13. Themes, Findings, and Recommendations

  14. 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.

  15. 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.

  16. THEMES, FINDINGS, & RECOMMENDATIONS: The Youth Role FINDINGS • Young drivers are generally viewed with skepticism. • The youth perspective is not widely incorporated.

  17. THEMES, FINDINGS, & RECOMMENDATIONS: The Youth Role AOD and Reckless Driving Convictions: Percent Per Age Group Percent Age Virginia 1999

  18. THEMES, FINDINGS, & RECOMMENDATIONS: The Youth Role AOD and Reckless Driving Convictions: Percent Per Age Group Percent Virginia 1999 Age

  19. High Risk, Safety Belt, and Speeding Convictions: Percent Per Age Group THEMES, FINDINGS, & RECOMMENDATIONS: The Youth Role Percent Age Virginia 1999

  20. THEMES, FINDINGS, & RECOMMENDATIONS: The Youth Role High Risk, Safety Belt, and Speeding Convictions: Percent Per Age Group Percent Virginia 1999 Age

  21. THEMES, FINDINGS, & RECOMMENDATIONS: The Youth Role Administrative Violations and Improper Driving Convictions: Percent Per Age Group Percent Age Virginia 1999

  22. THEMES, FINDINGS, & RECOMMENDATIONS: The Youth Role Administrative Violations and Improper Driving Convictions: Percent Per Age Group Percent Virginia 1999 Age

  23. THEMES, FINDINGS, & RECOMMENDATIONS: The Youth Role RECOMMENDATIONS • Youth need to be involved in the process of decision-making regarding young driver issues.

  24. 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.

  25. 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.

  26. 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.

  27. 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.

  28. 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.

  29. 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.

  30. 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.

  31. 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.

  32. 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.

  33. 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.

  34. 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.

  35. THEMES, FINDINGS, & RECOMMENDATIONS:Organization and Oversight 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.

  36. 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.

  37. 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.

  38. 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.

  39. THEMES, FINDINGS, & RECOMMENDATIONS: Perspective ofthe Graduated Drivers License RECOMMENDATIONS • Individual elements of the Graduated Drivers License initiative should be considered on their own merits.

  40. THEMES, FINDINGS, & RECOMMENDATIONS:Urban and Rural Distinctions FINDINGS • Distinctions exist between urban and rural areas. • Programs are typically implemented with the assumptions of an urban setting.

  41. THEMES, FINDINGS, & RECOMMENDATIONS:Urban and Rural Distinctions RECOMMENDATIONS • In any policy-making process, local distinctions must be made.

  42. THEMES, FINDINGS, & RECOMMENDATIONS:Need for Evaluation and Dissemination FINDINGS • Limited evaluation exists on young driver issues. • Limited awareness of what others are doing to address young drivers is found.

  43. 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.

  44. THEMES, FINDINGS, & RECOMMENDATIONS:Emerging Approaches FINDINGS • A range of proactive programs exist.

  45. THEMES, FINDINGS, & RECOMMENDATIONS:Emerging Approaches RECOMMENDATIONS • The DMV should examine the variety of new approaches to assess their usefulness and applicability to the state.

  46. Young Drivers: A Study of Policies and Practices www.caph.gmu.edu/young_drivers.htm

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