1. Graduated Driver LicenseIowa’s Experience With GDL Scott R. Falb Research & Statistical Analysis Office of Driver Services, Iowa DOT 29th International Traffic Records Forum July 17, 2003

2. History of Iowa’s GDL Law • Graduated Driver License first proposed in 1960’s. • National model law proposed in early 1990’s. • Congress passes legislation providing incentives to states to pass the provisions of the model law in the mid-90’s. • Law was passed by the Iowa Legislature in 1998. • Law took effect on January 1, 1999.

3. Provisions of the Model Graduated Driver License Law • Instruction Permit held for at least six months. • Must obtain parent’s or guardian’s written permission to get permit. • Must be accompanied by a parent or an approved adult when driving. • Must complete first level driver education program to advance to next level. • Must complete thirty (30) hours of driving, including ten (10) hours of night driving, with parents or guardians to advance to next level. • Must be crash and conviction-free for 6 months to advance to next level

4. Provisions of the Model Graduated Driver License Law • Intermediate Driver License held for at least one year. • Restricted driving hours; no driving between 11:00 PM to 6:00 AM without adult supervision. • Number of passengers restricted to none in the first six (6) months and one other young person when driving without adult supervision after. • Zero tolerance for alcohol use prior to or while driving. • Must complete twenty (20) hours driving, including ten (10) hours of night driving, with parent or guardians to advance to next level. • Must complete second level of driver education to advance to next level. • Must be crash and conviction-free for one year in order to advance to next level.

5. Provisions of Iowa’s Graduated Driver License Law • Instruction Permit can be held for six (6) months to two (2) years. • Must obtain parent or guardian written consent to drive to get permit. • Must be accompanied by parent or an approved adult when driving. • Must complete a single level driver education program to advance to next level • Must complete twenty (20) hours of driving, including two (2) hours night driving, with parent or guardian to advance to next level. • Must be crash and conviction-free for six (6) months to advance to the next level.

6. Provisions of Iowa’s Graduated Driver License Law • Iowa law allows students aged fourteen and one-half (14½) to sixteen (16) to obtain a School License • Allowed to drive to and from school and to and from school activities unaccompanied by adult • after completing single level driver education • and if crash and conviction-free for six (6) months prior to obtaining school license. • Can carry passengers from driver’s home to school or school activity.

7. Provisions of Iowa’s Graduated Driver License Law • Intermediate License held for at least one year. • Restricted driving hours; no driving between the hours of 12:30 PM to 5:00 AM without adult supervision. • Number of passengers only restricted to the number of safety belts in the vehicle. • Zero tolerance for alcohol consumption prior to or while driving. • Must complete ten (10) hours of driving, including two (2) hours of night driving, with parent or guardian to advance to next level. • Must be crash and conviction-free for one year to advance to the next level.

8. Comparison Between Iowa Law and Model GDL Law • Iowa has: • A three tiered licensing system for Graduated Driver License. • An instruction permit that must be held for at least six (6) months. • Driver Education required to advance to next level for instruction permit holder. • Practice driving with parent or guardian (both daytime and nighttime) required to advance to next level for both driver with instruction permit and driver with an intermediate license. • Period of crash and conviction-free driving required to advance to next level for both instruction permit and intermediate license. • An intermediate license that must be held for at least one year. • Zero tolerance for alcohol for all drivers under twenty-one (21) years of age. • Number of passengers for intermediate license holder restricted to the number of safety belts in the vehicle.

9. Comparison Between Iowa Law and Model GDL Law • Where Iowa Differs from the Model Law: • Only single level of driver education offered. No second level. • Only 20 hours of practice driving required on instruction permit instead of 30 hours. • Only 10 hours of practice driving required on intermediate license instead of 20 hours. • Only 2 hours of nighttime practice each required on instruction permit and intermediate license instead of 10 hours nighttime driving practice each. • Passengers restricted to the number of safety belts instead of no passengers for first six (6) months during intermediate license. • Driving hours unaccompanied restricted between 12:30 AM to 5:00 AM for intermediate license holder instead of 11:00 PM to 6:00 AM in the model law.

10. Iowa’s Experience With GDL:What The Conviction Data Shows • Young drivers received 20% fewer moving traffic convictions in the first year of GDL (1999). • Young drivers received 27% fewer moving traffic convictions in the second year of GDL (2000). • Younger Drivers received 6.6% more moving traffic convictions in the third year of GDL (2001). • Younger Drivers received 2.4% more moving traffic convictions in the fourth year of GDL (2002). • Overall, there was a 36.8% decrease in the number of moving traffic convictions for 16 year old drivers.

11. Iowa’s Experience With GDL:What The Conviction Data Shows • Traffic Convictions Received by 16 year olds in 1998 (Pre-GDL): 13,720 • Traffic Convictions Received by 16 year olds in 1999 (GDL 1st Year): 10,937 • Traffic Convictions Received by 16 year olds in 2000 (GDL 2nd Year) 7,947 • Traffic Convictions Received by 16 year olds in 2001 (GDL 3rd Year ) 8,468 • Traffic Convictions Received by 16 year olds in 2002 (GDL 4th Year ) 8,468

12. Moving Traffic Convictions Received By 16 Year Old Drivers

13. Iowa’s Experience With GDL:What The Crash Data Shows • Young drivers received 10% fewer traffic crashes in the first year of GDL (1999). • Young drivers received 10% fewer traffic crashes in the second year of GDL (2000). • Younger Drivers received 1.5% fewer traffic crashes in the third year of GDL (2001). • Younger Drivers received 7.6% fewer traffic crashes in the fourth year of GDL (2002). • Overall, there was a 26.1% decrease in the number of moving traffic convictions for 16 year old drivers.

14. Iowa’s Experience With GDL:What The Crash Data Shows • Traffic Crashes Received by 16 year olds in 1998 (Pre-GDL): 6,206 • Traffic Crashes Received by 16 year olds in 1999 (GDL 1st Year): 5,574 • Traffic Crashes Received by 16 year olds in 2000 (GDL 2nd Year) 5,040 • Traffic Crashes Received by 16 year olds in 2001 (GDL 3rd Year ) 4,965 • Traffic Crashes Received by 16 year olds in 2002 (GDL 4th Year ) 4,588

15. Traffic Crashes Involving 16 Year Old Drivers

16. Driver Improvement Remedial Actions For Problem Drivers • Approximately 21,000 interviews held each year • Approximately 200 drivers received new restrictions • Approximately 100 drivers get their license downgraded • Approximately 350 drivers get suspended for suspended for failed-to-appear for interview • Approximately 4,000 drivers are suspended each year for bad driving behavior

17. Driver Improvement Interviews

18. Driver Improvement: New Restrictions

19. Driver Improvement:License Downgrade

20. Driver Improvement:License Suspension—Failed-To-Appear

21. Driver Improvement:Percent Suspended for Failed-To-Appear

22. Conclusions: • After a big drop in the first two years of GDL, moving traffic convictions have risen slightly in the latest two years. • After 10% drop in the number of traffic crashes for the first two years, crash decreases have slowed significantly for the latest two years. • The percentage of drivers who failed to appear for their interview has steadily decreased. • License Suspensions for bad driving behavior has steadily increased.

23. Driver Improvement:Suspended Driving Behavior