Do Teens Need Graduated Licenses? - states adopt driving measure to decrease teen driving accidents - Brief Article

Current Events, Feb 12, 1999

It is an event that many young people look forward to from the time they first ride in a car: getting their driver's license. A license can mean the freedom to get around without having to get a ride. But some teens pay a heavy price for that freedom.

Each year, car accidents result in more teen deaths than any other cause. In an effort to cut the number of driving accidents involving teens, 26 states have adopted graduated driver's licenses (GDLs). Six of those states passed new GDL laws this year and many others are also considering GDLs.

GDL systems vary from state to state. They generally allow teens to earn driving privileges gradually, rather than all at once. For instance, some GDLs allow 16-year-olds to drive only during certain daylight hours; others require them to drive with an adult for a set number of hours before receiving a license. As teens gain experience, they earn more privileges.

Supporters of GDLs say the GDL system saves lives. Opponents of GDLs say that the States licenses are ineffective and needlessly complicate teens' lives.

Teens Need Time to Learn

According to the American Automobile Association (AAA), teens account for only 7 percent of the drivers on the road, but they are involved in 20 percent of all accidents reported to police. That's because many teens do not have the road experience necessary to make safe driving decisions, GDL supporters say.

Graduated licensing gives teens that experience step by step, often with adult supervision. This is much better, GDL supporters say, than allowing teens full driving privileges after only a few hours of instruction. "Our current programs don't teach young people to drive," said James E. Hall of the National Transportation Safety Board. "They teach them how to pass a [driving] test." Hall and others emphasize that driving is a privilege, not a right.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Association, states using GDLs have a 5 to 15 percent drop in teen accidents. That, GDL supporters say, is the an argument for GDLs.

GDLs Don't Work

Many opponents question the effectiveness of GDLs. They note that GDL restrictions reduce the number of teen drivers on the road. That reduction, they say, and not an improvement in teen driving skills, is the reason for the drop in the number of crashes involving teens.

Critics say GDLs may even increase teen accident rates. Maryland, for example, imposed teen driving restrictions in 1979 and saw the number of 16-year-olds in fatal accidents triple by 1988.

Opponents of GDLs say that GDLs make it harder for teens to get to jobs and to after-school activities. GDLs, said Todd Franklin of the National Motorists Association, "[needlessly] complicate the lives of millions of families."

Are graduated driver's licenses a smart step for your state? Why or why not?