The majority of American teens today delay getting a driver’s license, according to new study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. Less than half (44 percent) of teens obtain a driver’s license within 12 months of the minimum age for licensing in their state and just over half (54 percent) are licensed before their 18th birthday, causing concern among safety experts that young drivers are missing the benefits intended by graduated drivers licensing (GDL).
These findings mark a significant drop from two decades ago when data showed more than two-thirds of teens were licensed by the time they turned 18.
“With one in three teens waiting to get their license until they turn 18, there’s a segment of this generation missing opportunities to learn under the safeguards that GDL provides,” said Peter Kissinger, President and CEO,AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. “For most, it’s about not having a car or having alternatives for getting around that are the top reasons cited for delaying what has traditionally been considered to be a rite of passage.”
Contrary to some expectations, survey results suggest that few teens wait until 18 simply to avoid graduated driver licensing.
Instead, a number of other reasons for delaying licensure were cited, including:
- · 44 percent – Did not have a car
- · 39 percent – Could get around without driving
- · 36 percent – Gas was too expensive
- · 36 percent – Driving was too expensive
- · 35 percent – “Just didn’t get around to it”
Low-income and minority teens are the least likely to obtain a driver’s license before age 18. Only 25 percent of teens living in households with incomes less than $20,000 obtained their license before they turned 18, while 79 percent of teens were licensed by their eighteenth birthday in households with incomes of $100,000 or more.
The findings for licensure by age 18 differed significantly by race and ethnicity, with 67 percent for non-Hispanic white teens, 37 percent for non-Hispanic black teens, and 29 percent for Hispanic teens.
In Virginia, a new law SB 1165 was passed by Senator Steve Newman, that limits the number of passengers who can ride with a first year provisional licensee (unless accompanied by a parent who holds a valid driver’s license and is in the front passenger seat) to one who is less than 21 years old. After the first year the provisional license may drive with up to three passengers who are less than 21 years old ONLY IF driving to or from a school-sponsored activity, or licensed driver who is at least 21 years old is occupying the seat beside the driver, or in an emergency.
“Novice drivers are just that – Novices, Rookies, Beginners – thus they need as much focused practice behind the wheel as possible before they gain the freedom to drive without any restrictions,” said Martha Mitchell Meade, AAA Mid-Atlantic’s Manager of Public and Government Affairs. “Statistics prove that limiting passengers for new drivers reduces their crash risk, thus this law is one more positive step forward in the fight to save precious young lives in Virginia.”
“For a range of reasons, young adults increasingly are getting licensed without the benefit of parental supervision, extensive practice and gaining experience under less risky conditions that are the hallmark of a safety-focused licensing system,” said AAA’s Director of State Relations and teen driver issue expert, Justin McNaull.
“Researchers and policymakers should examine whether existing state GDL systems – nearly all of which end once a teen turns 18 – can be modified to improve safety for these young adult novice drivers.”
AAA has worked for nearly two decades to recommend that all states adopt and enforce a comprehensive three-stage (learner’s permit, intermediate/probationary license, full/unrestricted license) graduated driver licensing (GDL) system for novice teen drivers. These programs require minimum holding periods and practice requirements for teens with learner’s permits, followed by restricted licenses that limit driving at night or with peer passengers. These requirements help novice drivers safely gain the skills and experience needed to become safe adult drivers.
Previous AAA Foundation research found that states with comprehensive GDL systems have experienced a 38 percent decrease in fatal crashes involving 16 year-olds and a 40 percent reduction in injury crashes. The researchers surveyed a nationally-representative sample of 1,039 respondents ages 18-20. The full research report and survey results can be found on the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety website.