New report: Expand licensing requirements to further reduce teen driver crashes

Report based on leading edge research and proven crash prevention tactics

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Jan 20, 2015, 12:00 ET

ITASCA, Ill., Jan. 20, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today the National Safety Council (NSC) and the Traffic Injury Research Foundation (TIRF) released a report on Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL), A New GDL Framework: Evidence Base to Integrate Novice Driver Strategies. The report's strategies for reducing teen driver car crashes are developed from evidence-based initiatives. The report also includes strategies based on expert opinion and identifies areas where more research is needed.

The mission of the National Safety Council is to save lives by preventing injuries and deaths at work, in homes and communities and on the road through leadership, research, education and advocacy.

"Crashes remain the number one cause of death for teens. The good news is that over the last two decades, all states have implemented parts of GDL; the bad news is that all best practices have not been implemented consistently," said Deborah A.P. Hersman, president and CEO of NSC. "We simply cannot continue with a patchwork system that addresses only some of the risks, but we must identify and adopt ALL of the most effective prevention methods if we are truly committed to eliminating deaths and injuries in teen crashes."

The report is the first step toward gaining broad consensus among all those working to keep teen drivers safe. An International Symposium is being planned for 2015 and will bring together traffic safety professionals, lawmakers and researchers to discuss how to implement an expanded GDL framework.

"GDL involves a tiered system of licensing in which novice drivers are gradually exposed to driving situations over an extended period of time spent in low-risk environments," said Dan Mayhew, lead author and TIRF Senior Vice President. "At its core, this new GDL framework is unique in that it proposes that the best of our knowledge gained through driver education, licensing and testing requirements, as well as in-vehicle monitoring technology be integrated into an enhanced GDL program and used in eight key stage components and reinforcing components across the learner and intermediate stages."

The full report and executive summary are available for download via the NSC and TIRF websites, bit.ly. Financial support for this project was provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and The Allstate Foundation.

About the National Safety Council

Founded in 1913 and chartered by Congress, the National Safety Council, nsc.org , is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to save lives by preventing injuries and deaths at work, in homes and communities, and on the road through leadership, research, education and advocacy. NSC advances this mission by partnering with businesses, government agencies, elected officials and the public in areas where we can make the most impact – distracted driving, teen driving, workplace safety, prescription drug overdoses and Safe Communities.

About the Traffic Injury Research Foundation

Established in 1964, TIRF's mission is to reduce traffic-related deaths and injuries. As a national independent charitable road safety research institute, TIRF designs, promotes, and implements effective programs and policies, based on sound research. TIRF is a registered charity and depends on grants, contracts, and donations to provide services for the public. Visit us online at www.tirf.ca.

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SOURCE National Safety Council