title: Effects of graduated driver licensing on licensure and traffic injury rates in Upstate New York.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In 2003, New York State implemented an enhanced graduated driving licensing (GDL) program that requires extended supervised driving and a passenger restriction. This study examines its safety benefit in 55 Upstate New York counties.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed fatal/incapacitating traffic injury data among 16-, 17- and 21-24-year olds for the years 2001 and 2005 using the negative binomial model. To adjust for trends in the traffic injury rate, the relative rate ratio (rRR) of 16- and 17-year olds relative to 21-24-year olds was estimated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  GDL implementation was associated with a 31% reduction in the driver injury rate (rRR 0.69, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.49-0.96), but not with any statistically significant change in the passenger injury rate (rRR 1.19, 95% CI 0.77-1.84), or pedestrian and bicyclist injury rate (rRR 1.53, 95% CI 0.89-2.62) among 16-year olds. Sixteen-year olds experienced a 21% decline in licensure rates between 2001 and 2005. GDL implementation had no appreciable impact on driver injury and licensure rates for 17- and 21-24-year olds.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  GDL implementation is associated with a significant reduction in licensure and driver injury rate among 16-year olds. GDL implementation does not have a statistically significant impact on passenger, pedestrian, and bicyclist injury rates for 16-year olds.
authors.affiliation: West Virginia University, Department of Community Medicine and Injury Control Research Center, PO Box 9151, Morgantown, WV 26506-9151, USA. mzhu@hsc.wvu.edu
authors.forename: Motao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Haitao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.forename: Guohua
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000293:Adolescent; D001333:Automobile Driver Examination / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D001642:Bicycling; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D009518:New York / Q000453:epidemiology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D016138:Walking; D055815:Young Adult