Learn More

Young Adult Drivers

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), teen drivers have the highest crash risk of any age group. The crash rate per mile driven for 16-year-old drivers is almost 10 times the rate for drivers aged 30-59.

Teen driver inexperience, coupled with immaturity, often results in risk-taking behaviors such as speeding, alcohol use and not wearing a seat belt—all of which contribute to an increased death rate.

To reduce the death rate, states are enacting Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) laws that phase in driving privileges. Traffic safety experts agree a that well-designed GDL program includes the following characteristics:

Learners permit issued no earlier than age 16
Learner stage that lasts at least 6 months
At least 30-50 hours of parent-certified supervised practice during the learner stage
Intermediate stage that lasts until at least age 18 and includes:
- Nighttime driving restriction starting at 9:00 or 10:00 p.m.
- Passenger restriction (no teenage passengers or no more than one teenage passenger)
A ban on cell phones and electronic communication devices

According to results published by NHTSA in June 2006, significant reductions in deaths were associated with GDL laws that included age requirements, a waiting period of at least three months before the intermediate stage, a restriction on nighttime driving, 30 or more hours of supervised driving and a restriction on carrying passengers or the number and age of passengers carried.

In addition to laws, parents also play a key role in helping teens become good drivers. Parents should not rely solely on driver education classes to teach good driving habits and should restrict night driving, restrict the numbers of passengers riding with their teen, supervise practice driving, alway require use of seat belts and choose vehicles for safety, not image. Parents can also set a good example by practicing safe driving themselves.

To supplement driver education instruction, GHSA and the Ford Motor Company developed Driving Skills for Life, an innovative skills development program for new teen drivers that addresses the factors most involved in teen crashes. The program presents material in a format that is both acceptable and relevant to teenagers.

GHSA Policy

Excerpted from GHSA's Highway Safety Policies & Priorities

N. Driver Licensing and Education

N.3 Graduated Driver Licensing for Novice Drivers
GHSA supports graduated driver licensing for novice drivers, particularly teenaged drivers. Recognizing that driving is a complex task and that skills increase with experience, GHSA encourages all states and jurisdictions to enact a 3-staged graduated driver’s license legislation and implement a graduated driver’s license program that includes such components as: a specific minimum age for a learner’s permit, a provisional permit that is granted several months after the learner’s permit and before a full license; mandatory on-the-road driving that supplements driver education/training during the learner phase; adult supervision of learners; nighttime driving restrictions; mandatory safety belt use; restricted number of passengers; distinctive provisional driver’s license; zero tolerance for alcohol; and license suspension for any impaired driving conviction or implied consent refusal.

O. Driver Safety Issues

O.4 Young Adult Drivers
GHSA recognizes that the 21-34 year old age group is over-represented in traffic crashes. GHSA supports all efforts to identify causes and implement appropriate countermeasures, including enforcement and education, to reach this special target population and to reduce its involvement in traffic crashes.