Graduated Licensing and Beyond

Although graduated driver licensing has successfully reduced the young driver problem in Canada and the U.S., this is still a major problem and more needs to be done. This article discusses what new measures are needed to further reduce the problem. To make graduated licensing work better, laws need strengthening; compliance needs to be enhanced through evidence-based programs involving parents, police, and adolescents; and consideration needs to be given to strengthening testing requirements. A major challenge is to integrate driver education with graduated licensing, and suggestions for doing so are provided here. There are many opportunities for building on the initial gains derived from present-day graduated systems. Taking advantage of these opportunities is likely to result in substantial crash reductions.