title: Commentary: teenage driver fatal crash rate trends: what do they reveal?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine long-term fatal crash rate trends of teenage drivers in the United States, before and after the introduction of graduated driver licensing programs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Teenage driver fatal crash involvement rates were calculated for 1990-2011 and referenced to rates for 25- to 59-year-olds.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results indicated reductions in teen crash rates coincident with the economic downturn in 2008-2009 and reductions at ages 16 and 17 reflecting the introduction graduated driver licensing (GDL) but no effects positive or negative at ages 18 and 19.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The high crash rates at 18 and 19 relative to other ages call for attention, including extending GDL to ages older than 17.
authors.affiliation: a Allan F. Williams, LLC , Bethesda , Maryland.
authors.forename: Allan F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Williams
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000401:mortality*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D016208:Databases, Factual; D006801:Humans; D008004:Licensure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: economic trends; graduated licensing; young drivers