The impact of the 2007 graduated driver licensing law in Massachusetts on the rate of citations and licensing in teenage drivers |
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| Institution: | 1. The Trauma Injury Prevention and Outreach Program, Massachusetts General Hospital, 165 Cambridge St., Suite 810, Boston, MA 02114;2. Department of Surgery, Division of Trauma, Emergency Surgery, and Surgical Critical Care, Massachusetts General Hospital;3. Department of Pediatric Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital;4. Department of Emergency Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital;5. Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck St, Boston, MA 02115;1. Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, 6100 Executive Blvd., Room 7B13M, Bethesda, MD, 20892-7510, USA;2. Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA;3. Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Sherbrooke, Longueuil, Quebec, Canada;4. Department of Statistics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA;5. University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA;1. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 1005 North Glebe Road, Arlington, VA 22201, United States;2. University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, United States;1. National Advanced Driving Simulator, The University of Iowa, 2401 Oakdale Blvd, Iowa City, IA 52242, United States;2. Department of Emergency Medicine, The University of Iowa, 200 Hawkins Dr., 1008 RCP, Iowa City, IA 52242, United States |
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| Abstract: | ObjectiveWe recently demonstrated that the 2007 Massachusetts Graduated Driving Licensing (GDL) law decreased the rate of motor vehicle crashes in teenage drivers. To better understand this decrease, we sought to examine the law's impact on the issuance of driving licenses and traffic citations to teenage drivers.MethodsCitation and license data were obtained from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. Census data were obtained from the Census Data Center. Two study periods were defined: pre-GDL (2002–2006) and post-GDL (2007–2012). Two populations were defined: the study population (aged 16–17) and the control population (aged 25–29). The rates of licenses per population were compared pre- vs. post-GDL for the study group. The numbers of total, state, and local citations per population were compared pre- vs. post-GDL for both populations. A sensitivity analysis was performed for the rates of citations using licenses issued as a denominator.ResultsWhile licenses per population obtained by the study group decreased over the entire period, there was no change in the rate of decrease per year pre- vs. post-GDL (2.0% vs. 1.4%; p = 0.6392). In the study population, total, state, and local citations decreased post-GDL (17.8% vs. 8.1%, p < 0.0001; 3.7% vs. 2.2%, p < 0.0001; 14.1% vs. 5.8%, p < 0.0001, respectively). In the control group, total and state citations did not change (26.7% vs. 23.9%, p = 0.3606; 9.2% vs. 10.2%, p = 0.3404, respectively), and local citations decreased (17.5% vs. 13.7%, p = 0.0389). The rates of decrease per year for total, state, and local citations were significantly greater in the study population compared with control (p < 0.0001, p = 0.0002, p < 0.0001, respectively).ConclusionsThe 2007 GDL law in Massachusetts was associated with fewer traffic citations without a change in the rate of licenses issued to teenagers. These findings suggest that 2007 GDL may be improving driving habits as opposed to motivating teenagers to delay the issuing of licenses. |
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