Most Wanted

Transportation Safety

Improvements

Promote Youth Highway Safety

Importance

Motor vehicle crashes remain the leading cause of death for 15- through 20-year-olds.

From 1996 through 2005, almost 64,000 youth aged 15 through 20 died in traffic crashes—122 each week.

In 2005, 3,467 drivers 15 through 20 years old were killed, and an additional 281,000 15- through 20-year-olds were injured in motor vehicle crashes.  In 2005, 7,460 15- through 20-year-old drivers were involved in fatal crashes, resulting in 8,609 total fatalities.

In 2004, teen drivers constituted only 6.3 percent of licensed drivers, but were involved in 12.6 percent of all highway fatal crashes and 16 percent of all police-reported crashes.

The risk of a crash involving a teenage driver increases with each additional teen passenger in the vehicle.

(1) Safety Recommendation H-02-32 (GDL and Passenger Restriction)

H-02-32 (to 14 States that had neither a GDL system nor passenger restrictions) superseded H-93-8
Issued November 8, 2002
Added to the Most Wanted list:  2003
Status:  Various
Enact laws to provide for a three-stage graduated licensing system for young novice drivers, and restrict young novice drivers with provisional or intermediate licenses (second stage), unless accompanied by a supervising adult driver who is at least 21 years old, from carrying more than one passenger under the age of 20 until they receive an unrestricted license or for at least 6 months (whichever is longer).  (Source:  Letter of recommendation in November 8, 2002 addressing restricting the number of teen passengers permitted to travel with an unsupervised, young novice driver)

Summary of Action

The States have substantially changed their driver licensing practices since the Safety Board issued its first graduated driver licensing recommendations in 1993.  The changes represent the most significant alteration of young driver licensing practices in over 50 years.

 Forty-six States and the District of Columbia have adopted a three-stage graduated licensing system, although some States do not include certain elements, such as a mandatory permit or provisional license holding period.  Four States have enacted partial systems.  All of these laws have been enacted since 1993.

 In 2007, at least twenty States (AR, CO, CT, FL, ID, IN, IA, LA, MI, MN, MO, NY, NC, OK, OR, SD, TN, VT, VA and WA) considered legislation to improve graduated licensing requirements, including passenger restrictions. Arizona and Nebraska enacted legislation that strengthened its existing graduated driver licensing law, although Arizona’s law did not fully implement the Safety Board’s recommendation.  

Actions Remaining

Four States (AR, KS, ND and MN) lack a three-stage system.

(2) Safety Recommendation H-02-30 (Passenger Restriction)

H-02-30 (to 29 States and the District of Columbia that had a GDL system)
Issued November 8, 2002
Added to the Most Wanted list:  2004
Status:  Various
Restrict young, novice drivers with provisional (intermediate) licenses, unless accompanied by a supervising adult driver who is at least 21 years old, from carrying more than one passenger under the age of 20 until they receive an unrestricted license or for at least 6 months (whichever is longer).  (Source:  Letter of recommendation in November 8, 2002 addressing restricting the number of teen passengers permitted to travel with an unsupervised, young novice driver)

Summary of Action
Thirty-nine States and the District of Columbia have passenger restrictions for young drivers in the intermediate (provisional) stage of licensing.  Twenty-three States and the District of Columbia prohibit for at least 6 months intermediate driver’s license holders from carrying more than one passenger under age 20.  Missouri’s and Nebraska’s laws apply only to passengers under age 19, laws in seven other States apply only to passengers under age 18, and Idaho’s law applies only to passengers under age 17.

In 2007, at least seven States (FL, IN, LA, MN, MO, NY, and VT) considered legislation to improve graduated licensing requirements, including passenger restrictions.  Idaho and Ohio enacted passenger restriction legislation, but only Ohio’s law fully implements the Safety Board’s recommendation.

     
Actions Remaining

27 States lack a passenger restriction that satisfies the Board’s recommendation.

(3) Safety Recommendation H-03-8 (Wireless Communication Devices)

H-03-8 (48 States) (1)
Issued June 13, 2003
Added to the Most Wanted list:  2005
Status:  Various
Enact legislation to prohibit holders of learner’s permits and intermediate licenses from using interactive wireless communication devices while driving.  (Source:  Ford Explorer Sport Collision with Ford Windstar Minivan and Jeep Grand Cherokee on Interstate 95/495 Near Largo, Maryland on February 1, 2002, Highway Accident Report NTSB/HAR-03/02)

Importance

Learning how to drive and becoming comfortable in traffic requires all the concentration a novice driver can muster.  Research has shown that the cognitive effects of conducting a conversation on a wireless telephone can decrease situational awareness and that wireless telephone use can slow reaction time.

A 2001 study, ,” reported that drivers engaged in wireless conversations were unaware of traffic movements around them.

Research by NHTSA has shown that drivers who use a wireless telephone while driving can lose situational awareness and experience “inattention blindness,” suggesting that the cognitive effects, as well as the physical demands of handheld telephone use, are dangerous.

In 2006, the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute and NHTSA released the results of a 100-car naturalistic driving study, in which the behavior of the drivers of 100 vehicles was tracked for more than 1 year using video and sensor devices.  Researchers determined that nearly 80 percent of crashes and 65 percent of near-crashes involved some form of driver inattention within 3 seconds before the event; the most common distraction was the use of cell phones.

The use of wireless communication devices has become increasingly prevalent.  Additional NHTSA research has documented that an estimated 6 percent of drivers used hand-held cell phones during daylight hours in 2005.  This means approximately 974,000 drivers on the road nationwide at any time during the day are using a hand-held phone.

Summary of Action

Currently, 18 States and the District of Columbia have laws related to use of wireless communication devices by young novice drivers.  Thirteen States (CA, CT, DE, IL, ME, MD, MN, NE, NJ, NC, RI, TN, and WV) have laws prohibiting the use of cell phones or other mobile communication devices for holders of learner’s permits and intermediate licenses.  Colorado and the District of Columbia prohibit holders of learner’s permits from using cell phones, and Texas and Virginia prohibit holders of intermediate licenses from using cell phones.  New York, and Washington prohibit hand-held use of cell phones by any driver.

In 2007, 34 States (AL, AK, AZ, AR, CT, DE, FL, GA, HI, IL, IN, IA, LA, ME, MD, MN, MS, MO, MT, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OK, OR, PA, RI, TN, TX, UT, VT, and WV) considered some form of legislation to prohibit the use of cell phones.  Some proposals were consistent with the Board’s recommendation to prevent holders of learner’s permits and intermediate licenses from using any cell phone while driving, while other proposals addressed hand-held use of cell phones only, but by any driver.  California, Nebraska, Virginia, and Washington each enacted a law in 2007.

Actions Remaining

Thirty-seven States lack an interactive wireless communication prohibition that applies to both holders of learner’s permits and intermediate licenses.

September 2007