title: Driver education and teen crashes and traffic violations in the first two years of driving in a graduated licensing system.
abstract: Our primary research question was whether teens obtaining their intermediate-level provisional operators permit (POP) in a graduated driver licensing (GDL) environment through driver education differed in crashes and traffic violations from teens who obtained their POP by completing a supervised driving certification log without taking driver education. A descriptive epidemiological study examining a census of all teen drivers in Nebraska (151,880 teens, 48.6% girls, 51.4% boys) during an eight year period from 2003 to 2010 was conducted. The driver education cohort had significantly fewer crashes, injury or fatal crashes, violations, and alcohol-related violations than the certification log cohort in both years one and two of driving following receipt of the POP. Hierarchical logistic regression was conducted, controlling for gender, race/ethnicity, median household income, urban-rural residence, and age receiving the POP. In both year one and two of driving, teens in the certification log cohort had higher odds of a crash, injury or fatal crash, violation, or alcohol-related violation. Findings support that relative to a supervised driving certification log approach, teens taking driver education are less likely to be involved in crashes or to receive a traffic violation during their first two years of driving in an intermediate stage in a graduated driver licensing system. Because teen crash and fatality rates are highest at ages 16-18, these reductions are especially meaningful. Driver education appears to make a difference in teen traffic outcomes at a time when risk is highest.
authors.affiliation: Nebraska Prevention Center for Alcohol and Drug Abuse, Department of Educational Psychology, 114 TEAC, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588-0345, USA. Electronic address: dshell2@unl.edu.
authors.forename: Duane F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Shell
authors.affiliation: Nebraska Prevention Center for Alcohol and Drug Abuse, Department of Educational Psychology, 114 TEAC, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588-0345, USA. Electronic address: ainewman1@unl.edu.
authors.forename: Ian M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Newman
authors.affiliation: Survey Research and Methodology Program, UNL Gallup Research Center, 933 Oldfather Hall, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588-0366, USA. Electronic address: al.cordovacazar@huskers.unl.edu.
authors.forename: Ana Lucía
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Córdova-Cazar
authors.affiliation: Survey Research and Methodology Program, UNL Gallup Research Center, 933 Oldfather Hall, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588-0366, USA. Electronic address: jheese2001@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Jill M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Heese
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000293:Adolescent; D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000193:education* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D000066448:Driving Under the Influence / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008004:Licensure / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D008297:Male; D009329:Nebraska; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control
keywords: Crash; Driver education; Graduated driver licensing; Injury outcome; Traffic violations