Implementation is not enough: Graduated drivers licensing benefits from a comprehensive enforcement, education, and...

Graduated drivers license (GDLs) are required in most states. Graduated drivers licenses are intermediate licenses requiring a supervisory period prior to full licensure. Surveys suggests poor acceptance of GDL restrictions high variability in GDL compliance. New Jersey initiated GDLs in 2002 and introduced a comprehensive public health campaign in 2010. This study analyzed the effect of GDL and the campaign on teen driver-related fatalities and hypothesized that implementation alone was insufficient to decrease deaths.

Data were analyzed from 1998 to 2016 from New Jersey's Fatal Accident Investigation Unit. In 2005, collaboration with state police added total crash fatalities and teen passenger deaths to the data set. Patterns in data before and after GDL implementation in 2002 and a comprehensive campaign in 2010 were evaluated to determine effects in New Jersey. Paired t tests, analysis of variance, and regression analyses were performed, with p value less than 0.05 considered significant.

Little effect was seen after initiation of GDL, with no change in number of dead teen drivers (44 vs. 49, p > 0.05) or fatal accidents (117 vs.115, p > 0.05) in the 4 years before and after implementation. However, after the comprehensive campaign, decreases are seen in dead teenaged drivers (42 vs. 22, p < 0.005) and total fatal accidents involving teens (107 vs. 61, p < 0.005). Comparing 4 years before and 6 years after the campaign demonstrates decreases in total crash fatalities involving teen drivers (112 vs. 66, p < 0.05) and in the number of dead teenaged passengers in a vehicle operated by another teen (19 vs. 11 p < 0.05).

Implementation of GDLs alone may not be an effective strategy in decreasing the number of teen fatalities. A multipronged approach combining comprehensive, public-health based campaign with targeted enforcement is necessary to decrease the number of teen driver-related deaths. Additional studies are needed to assess the relationship between decreased death and compliance with GDLs.

Retrospective comparative study, level III.