We won't be the first (or, sadly, the last) to report it, but teenage drivers are dying (and killing others) at a stunning rate. According the the U.S. Government's Center for Disease Control and Prevention, car crashes account for fully 36 percent of all teen-age deaths (more than 6000 last year), and the number appears to be rising. For every mile driven, teen drivers are four times more likely than more experienced motorists to be involved in an accident — a number that goes up exponentially at night and as teenage passengers enter the equation. To help mitigate the problem, more and more states are instituting two- and three-stage provisional licensing programs for teens, designed to give younger drivers on-the-road experience at a more gradual pace, and with far greater supervision and more restrictions. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration has created a page devoted to the concept, outlining what it considers the ideal provisional process (find it after the break). So is this the solution? Well, according to a 2005 study, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and New Jersey — all states with established graduated licensing programs — have recorded the lowest fatality rates for teenage drivers. Another option is simply to bump up the minimum driving age to eighteen. The NHTSA reports that sixteen-year-old drivers are involved in accidents three times as often as seventeen-year-olds, and a five times as often as eighteen-year-olds.
The NHTSA's Graduated License Prescription
Stage One: Learner’s Permit
Minimum age recommended by state for a permit (e.g., 15 1 /2 years);
Pass vision and knowledge tests, including rules of the road and signs and signals;
Require licensed adult (at least age 21) in the vehicle at all times;
All occupants must wear safety belts;
Zero tolerance for alcohol while driving (.02 or less blood alcohol concentration [BAC]);
Must remain crash and conviction free for six consecutive months to move to the next stage; and
Permit is visually distinctive from other driver licenses. Stage Two: Intermediate (Provisional) License
Complete Stage One;
Minimum age recommended by state for an intermediate license (e.g., 16 years);
Must pass a behind-the-wheel, on-road test;
All occupants must wear safety belts;
Zero tolerance for alcohol while driving (.02 or less BAC);
Require licensed adult in the vehicle during late night hours (e.g., nighttime driving restrictions);
Driver improvement actions are initiated at lower point level than for regular drivers;
Must remain crash and conviction free for 12 consecutive months to move to next stage; and
License is visually distinctive from a permit and regular license. Stage Three: Full License
Complete Stage Two;
Minimum age recommended by state for a full license (e.g., 18 years); and
Must remain crash and conviction free for 12 consecutive months. Check out the CDC's teen-driver fact sheet, or the NHTSA's info page on graduated licensing for teens.
