The National Transportation Safety Board is an independent Federal agency charged by Congress to investigate transportation crashes, determine their probable cause and make recommendations to prevent their recurrence. The recommendations that arise from our investigations and safety studies are our most important product. The Safety Board has neither regulatory authority nor grant funds. In our 38-year history, organizations and government bodies have adopted more than 80 percent of our recommendations.

The Safety Board has recognized for many years that traffic crashes are one of this nation’s most serious transportation safety problems. More than 90 percent of all transportation related deaths each year result from highway crashes. A disproportionate number of these highway crashes involve teenage drivers between the ages of 15 to 20, young people who have only recently gotten their driver’s license.

In a 1993 review of underage drinking and licensing for young drivers under the age of 21, the Safety Board recommended that States implement graduated driver licensing (GDL), the comprehensive provisional license system for teen drivers. In 2002, the Safety Board revisited this issue and added a passenger restriction to its GDL recommendation. Then, following the investigation of a Maryland crash that killed 5 people in early 2003, the Safety Board recommended that a restriction on cell phone use while driving be added to the graduated licensing system.

In spite of the revolutionary changes in driver licensing practices that have been adopted in recent years, teen drivers continue to be involved in an alarming number of crashes. Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death among teenagers today, accounting for 40 percent of all deaths among 15-20 year olds. Young drivers age 15 through age 20 make up less than 7 percent of the driving population, but compose more than 13.5 percent of the drivers involved in fatal crashes. Further, more than 21 percent of all highway fatalities occur in crashes involving teen drivers. Crash statistics for Michigan are just as ominous. While young drivers are a little more than 7 percent of the driving population, they are more than 14.2 percent of the drivers involved in fatal crashes. More than 22 percent of Michigan’s highway fatalities occur in crashes involving teen drivers.

Today, I want to make three key points regarding teen driving and passenger restrictions. First, I will explain the problem of young novice drivers, particularly when they carry passengers. Second, I will describe measures that Michigan can take to address this problem. And third, I will highlight a few success stories.

The Problem

Young drivers have been the focus of U.S. licensing systems primarily because they constitute the largest group of beginners and have the highest crash risk. Studies by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the States and others have shown that 16-year-olds are more likely to be involved in single vehicle crashes, be responsible for the crash, be cited for speeding, have more passengers than older drivers, and be unbelted. Such fatal crashes are most likely to occur from 10 p.m. to midnight on Friday and Saturday nights.

Teen drivers drive with more passengers than older drivers, and these passengers are usually the drivers’ peers. These passengers create a deadly combination of distraction, inexperience and immaturity. The presence of teenage passengers can influence the risk-taking behavior of teenage drivers, leading to crashes with increased injuries and deaths for both the drivers and their passengers. The relative risk of death among 16- and 17-year-old drivers increases when there is a single passenger, and that risk grows each time the number of passengers grows. Carrying at least three teen passengers results in a threefold increase in the probability of a teen in that vehicle suffering a fatal injury.

The Safety Board has investigated several crashes involving young novice drivers that illustrate the tragic consequences of allowing inexperienced young drivers who have just recently obtained their licenses to drive with multiple teenage passengers in the vehicle. One such incident investigation involved a crash in Houghton County, Michigan. About 10:40 p.m. on Friday, November 12, 2004, a 16-year-old female was driving a 1999 Saturn carrying 4 other teens. By her own admission, the driver, who had recently argued with a friend, was operating the vehicle while highly agitated at a speed of at least 80 miles per hour. At the request of one of the passengers, the driver caused the car to swerve from side to side; she subsequently lost control of the vehicle. The Saturn rolled over a number of times before coming to rest against a power pole. Three occupants were ejected, and 2 occupants were killed.

A search of Michigan newspapers reveals evidence of other similar tragedies. This past July, a 15-year-old boy, riding with 3 other teenagers, was killed in a one-car crash in Otsego Township. Police cited excessive speed as the cause of this crash, which occurred at 3:00 p.m., the exact time that teens would be traveling home from school during the school year. Another high school student from Mount Olivet was killed in January when the Honda Accord carrying 3 teenagers veered off the road and struck a utility pole. Again, this was a speed-related single-vehicle crash. In the same month, 3 teenagers were seriously injured when the driver of the SUV pulled in front of a pickup after stopping at the intersection of Sutton Road and Ridge Highway in Raisin Township. All 3 teenagers were wearing their seat belts, a decision unfortunately that many teenagers do not make when they travel with their peers.

The Solution

Michigan should be commended for being one of the first States to adopt a comprehensive graduated licensing system. The current program includes a 3-phase system with a learner's permit, an intermediate, license, and a full license. Young drivers must hold their learner’s permit for a minimum of 6 months, complete driver education, and obtain at least 50 hours of supervised driving. There is a midnight to 5:00 a.m. driving restriction during the intermediate phase. However, there is no limit on the number of passengers that a novice driver may carry.

The National Committee on Uniform Traffic Laws and Ordinances (NCUTLO) added a passenger restriction into its Model Graduated Licensing Law in 2000, and incorporated it into the Uniform Vehicle Code. The jurisdictions adopting passenger restrictions have generally followed the UVC model law, which includes the following elements:

• No more than one passenger under age 20 is allowed unless a supervising driver is present or until the driver receives full licensure.
• Passenger exemptions are granted for family members to ride with an unsupervised provisional licensed driver.

Currently, 20 States and the District of Columbia have enacted passenger restrictions that prohibit teen drivers from carrying more than 1 passenger under age 20 for at least 6 months. Eight more States have restrictions for passengers under age 18 or mandate the restrictions for less than 6 months. An exemption for family or household members is permitted by all but 3 (Connecticut, Indiana, and Vermont) of the 29 jurisdictions, although California allows transportation of family members only in limited circumstances. States with passenger restrictions include the neighboring States of Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin.

Based on the available research, the UVC model law, and FARS data, the Safety Board concluded that by restricting to zero or one the number of passengers carried by young novice drivers during the provisional (intermediate) license stage, States can reduce crashes involving young novice drivers and reduce fatalities among teenage occupants. The Board also concluded that if the passenger restriction and provisional (intermediate) license stage last only a few months, they are unlikely to have a substantial safety benefit. The Board, therefore, believes that Michigan should restrict young novice drivers with a graduated license 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).

Success Stories

Passenger restrictions are a relatively new measure States are taking to reduce the likelihood of teen driver crashes, but States are reporting that passenger restrictions are having the desired effect. AAA Auto Club of Southern California reported a 40 percent reduction in teen passenger injuries and fatalities. North Carolina has experienced a 31 percent reduction in crashes for 16-year-old drivers carrying more than 1 passenger and a 13 percent reduction in crashes for 17-year-old drivers carrying more than 1 passenger. Any risk posed by having more teen drivers on the road is outweighed by the safety benefits of limiting the number of young passengers that teen drivers can carry.

Parents support graduated licensing. Rather than feeling as if it is parental interference, parents have found GDL provisions to be beneficial. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety conducted follow-up surveys in 1999 of parents in two States whose children had recently obtained their driver’s licenses. These parents were even more supportive of graduated licensing restrictions than they had been during initial interviews in 1996, before their teenagers had begun the licensing process. Few parents reported that the laws had inconvenienced them. Many were in favor of additional requirements, such as passenger restrictions, that were not currently part of their States’ laws.

Conclusion

Highway crashes involving young drivers will remain a serious and persistent problem unless concrete and comprehensive steps are taken. Our young people are this nation’s most valuable resource, and should be nurtured and protected. Too many of them are being killed and injured unnecessarily.

The Safety Board is so convinced of the life saving benefit of graduated licensing with a passenger restriction that we have included it on our list of “Most Wanted” safety recommendations. Adding a passenger restriction, such as provided in H.B. 4756, will significantly strengthen the graduated licensing system in Michigan. It will save both young lives and the lives of others involved in crashes with young drivers.

Thank you again for providing me the opportunity to testify about this important initiative. I would be happy to answer any questions you may have.