Graduated Driver Licensing: Effectiveness of Systems & Individual Components
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ACCIDENT RESEARCH CENTRE GRADUATED DRIVER LICENSING: EFFECTIVENESS OF SYSTEMS & INDIVIDUAL COMPONENTS by Teresa Senserrick Michelle Whelan October, 2003 Report No. 209 GRADUATED DRIVER LICENSING: EFFECTIVENESS OF SYSTEMS & INDIVIDUAL COMPONENTS i ii MONASH UNIVERSITY ACCIDENT RESEARCH CENTRE MONASH UNIVERSITY ACCIDENT RESEARCH CENTRE REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE Report No. Date ISBN Pages 209 October 2003 07326 17197 120 Title and sub-title: Graduated driver licensing: Effectiveness of systems and individual components Author(s): Dr Teresa Senserrick (MUARC) Ms Michelle Whelan (MUARC) Sponsoring Organisation(s): Roads Corporation (VicRoads) Abstract: Graduated licensing systems (GLS) have been increasingly adopted by licensing jurisdictions around the world. Under a GLS, driving privileges are gradually phased in to allow early driving experience to be gained in lower-risk situations. Restrictions are gradually lifted to allow driving experience under more-challenging conditions before full licensure. The present report details the GLS models in operation in Australia, with a focus on components of the learner and intermediate licence phases. The effectiveness of overseas GLS models in terms of reduced crash risk is also reviewed. The primary aim of the report, however, is to detail the wide range of individual GLS components of the learner and intermediate licence phases and to discuss the literature on their contribution to GLS effectiveness. Other considerations that need to be addressed when introducing GLS components in a new or existing model are also discussed. It is concluded that there is overwhelming support for GLS models, including those with restrictions not currently in place in Australia, namely, night-time driving and peer passenger restrictions. There is considerable support for a review of current Australian licensing systems and the development, implementation and evaluation of additional GLS initiatives in order to maximise the ability of the systems to address the over-involvement of young Australians in crash statistics. Key Words: graduated licensing systems, young drivers Reproduction of this page is authorised Monash University Accident Research Centre, Wellington Road, Clayton, Victoria, 3800, Australia. Telephone: +61 3 9905 4371, Fax: +61 3 9905 4363 GRADUATED DRIVER LICENSING: EFFECTIVENESS OF SYSTEMS & INDIVIDUAL COMPONENTS iii iv MONASH UNIVERSITY ACCIDENT RESEARCH CENTRE Preface Project Manager: · Professor Tom Triggs Research Team: · Dr Teresa Senserrick · Ms Michelle Whelan Acknowledgements: There are many people to thank for their assistance with this review. Antonietta Cavallo (VicRoads) initiated this project and, while Richard Blasé (MUARC) compiled an earlier, shorter form of this review, it was greatly expanded upon by Russell Scott (VicRoads) to detail Victorian and US systems. This provided a detailed basis for our review, which extends to all Australian jurisdictions and overseas jurisdictions with GLS that have undergone evaluation. We would particularly like to thank Russell for his invaluable assistance, including clarification of details of previous drafts and the provision of up-to-date information on Victorian licensing details and data. We would also like to thank Dr Narelle Haworth (MUARC) for her constructive feedback on drafts of this report and R.H. Hewitt (Queens University, Belfast) and Samantha Cockfield (TAC) for clarification of aspects of their jurisdiction’s GLS. Finally, we would like to recognise the many others individuals and organisations who provided detailed information of the Australian GLS models included in this review: · Helen Benham and Barbara Black, Roads and Traffic Authority: Road Safety, NSW. · Wayne Chandler, Transport and Infrastructure: Licensing, NT. · Ian Faulks, Director: Staysafe Committee, NSW. · Christabel Fernandes, Department for Planning and Infrastructure: Road Safety, WA. · Queensland Transport: Licensing Department, QLD. · Transport South Australia: Licensing Department, SA. · Tasmanian Department of Infrastructure, Energy and Resources: Licensing Department, TAS. · Urban Services, Roads and Traffic, Road Safety Department, ACT. GRADUATED DRIVER LICENSING: EFFECTIVENESS OF SYSTEMS & INDIVIDUAL COMPONENTS v vi MONASH UNIVERSITY ACCIDENT RESEARCH CENTRE Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................. XI 1. INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................... 1 1.1 NATURE OF THE YOUNG DRIVER PROBLEM......................................................................................1 1.2 NATURE OF GRADUATED LICENSING SYSTEMS ...............................................................................1 1.3 STANDARD GLS COMPONENTS .........................................................................................................2 1.4 AIM AND STRUCTURE OF PRESENT REPORT .....................................................................................3 2. BRIEF HISTORY OF THE GLS..................................................................................... 5 3. GLS MODELS IN AUSTRALIAN JURISDICTIONS....................................................... 7 3.1 VICTORIA..............................................................................................................................................7 3.2 NEW SOUTH WALES ............................................................................................................................9 3.3 WESTERN AUSTRALIA ......................................................................................................................11 3.4 AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY ................................................................................................12 3.5 SOUTH AUSTRALIA............................................................................................................................13 3.6 NORTHERN TERRITORY ....................................................................................................................14 3.7 QUEENSLAND .....................................................................................................................................15 3.8 TASMANIA ..........................................................................................................................................15 3.9 SUMMARY OF LEARNER AND INTERMEDIATE LICENCE PHASE COMPONENTS...........................16 4. GLS EFFECTIVENESS IN OVERSEAS JURISDICTIONS ...........................................21 4.1 DIFFICULTIES IN DETERMINING GLS EFFECTIVENESS .................................................................21 4.2 NEW ZEALAND...................................................................................................................................22 4.3 NORTH AMERICA...............................................................................................................................23 4.3.1 California.................................................................................................................................23 4.3.2 Florida......................................................................................................................................24 4.3.3 Kentucky .................................................................................................................................24 4.3.4 Maryland .................................................................................................................................25 4.3.5 Michigan..................................................................................................................................25 4.3.6 North Carolina........................................................................................................................26 4.3.7 Nova Scotia.............................................................................................................................26 4.3.8 Ontario.....................................................................................................................................27 4.4 EUROPE ...............................................................................................................................................27 4.4.1 Finland .....................................................................................................................................27 4.4.2 Northern Ireland.....................................................................................................................28 4.4.3 Norway ....................................................................................................................................28 4.4.4 Sweden.....................................................................................................................................29 4.5 SUMMARY OF REPORTED CRASH REDUCTION EFFECTS ................................................................29 5. EFFECTIVENESS OF INDIVIDUAL GLS COMPONENTS ...........................................31 5.1 IDENTIFYING INDIVIDUAL COMPONENT EFFECTIVENESS .............................................................31 5.2 COMPONENTS OF THE LEARNER PHASE..........................................................................................32 5.2.1 Increasing supervised driving experience...........................................................................32 GRADUATED DRIVER LICENSING: EFFECTIVENESS