Trends in driver licensing status and driving among high school seniors in the United States, 1996-2010.
BACKGROUND
Understanding the reasons for fluctuations in teenage driver crashes over time in the United States is clouded by the lack of information on licensure rates and driving exposure.


METHODS
We examined results from the Monitoring the Future survey to estimate the proportion of high school seniors who possessed a driver's license and the proportion of seniors who did not drive "during an average week" during the 15-year period of 1996-2010.


RESULTS
During 1996-2010, the proportion of high school seniors in United States who reported having a driver's license declined by 12 percentage points (14%) from 85% to 73%. Two-thirds of the decline (8 percentage points) occurred during 2006-2010. During the same 15-year period, the proportion of high school seniors who did not drive during an average week increased by 7 percentage points (47%) from 15% in 1996 to 22% in 2010, with essentially all of the increase occurring during 2006-2009.


CONCLUSIONS
Findings in this report suggest that the economic recession in recent years has reduced rates of licensure and driving among high school seniors.
Division of Unintentional Injury Prevention, CDC, Atlanta, Georgia 30341, USA. rshults@cdc.gov
Ruth A
RA
Shults
Allan F
AF
Williams
D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D000293:Adolescent; D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D044383:Black People / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008004:Licensure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends*; D008297:Male; D018986:Motor Vehicles / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012646:Self Administration; D012737:Sex Factors; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001741:Black or African American
Adolescent; Automobile driving; Licensure; Motor vehicles; Teenagers