Teen Driver Q&A

Feb.15, 2007 • Graduated Driver Licensing News Conference

Why is AAA telling parents to “Keep the Keys”?

AAA is proposing that parents “keep the keys” from their teenage driver until they have an agreement on the “house rules” for earning and keeping the privilege of driving. AAA has a sample Parent-Teen Agreement on www.aaa.com/publicaffairs. It can be used by parents as a guide for discussing and reaching agreement with their teen on such issues as night driving limits, teen passenger limits and even cell phone use. It describes commitments from the parents and the teen, and outlines such things as responsibilities, courtesy and issues that can lead to a loss of privileges.

Why is AAA challenging state lawmakers to pass more GDL legislation?

As this study shows, enactment of laws is key to increasing teen driver safety. By strengthening the GDL systems in their states to include the components identified in this study, legislators can take a substantial step forward toward saving teen lives and reducing injuries.

Why are teenage drivers a high risk group?

Teens are at higher risk for a crash because of lack of experience and adolescent risk taking behavior. Many teens are responsible drivers; however, they are involved in more crashes due to poor judgment, inadequate driving skills and risky behavior associated with normal adolescent development.

Does driver education make young drivers safer?

Driver education can contribute to safe driving by increasing the supervised, behind-the-wheel practice time as new drivers gain experience and develop their skills. [Note: There are no current studies yet showing that any particular driver education course reduces crashes. That doesn’t mean none are effective; just that we haven’t been able to demonstrate effectiveness in a study yet].

Why is AAA recommending that states impose passenger restrictions on teen drivers?

As this study shows, limiting the number of teens in vehicles driven by teens will reduce the number of people injured and killed in teen-related crashes.
Research shows that having a teenage passenger increases the risk of a teen driver being in a fatal crash. The risk increases with additional teen passengers.
Passenger restrictions may be inconvenient for parents and teens, but they are effective at saving teen lives.

Are all of these crashes the teen’s fault?
It is difficult to assign specific fault in any motor vehicle crash – meaning a particular action caused the crash – and this report does not assign fault. But, we know that teens have the highest number of deaths per vehicle mile traveled of any age group and when they crash, other people are also injured and killed. Teen drivers’ crash risk is largely due to inexperience and poor decision making (immaturity).
The fault lies in the system that, in too many states, lets teens drive without the experience they need, allowing them to get into situations (driving at night and with teen passengers) where they make deadly mistakes.
If we don’t all collectively demand that legislators in states with weak laws improve these laws to keep teens safe and protect the safety of everyone on the road, these crashes will be OUR FAULT.

What specific solutions is AAA offering to reduce teen driver crashes?

Parents. Regardless of how lax or strict their state’s GDL law is, parents play a critical role and should enforce their own rules for teen drivers.
Parents should restrict their teens from riding with other teen drivers and prohibit their teens from carrying any passengers during the first year of driving.
Parents should limit their teens’ nighttime driving.
The Parent-Teen Agreement can help families work together to ensure their teens gain driving experience in the safest driving environment possible.
Strengthening graduated driver licensing. AAA believes, and this study shows, that strengthening GDL laws is a vital component in the effort to reduce crashes.
Because of AAA’s advocacy during the past decade, all 50 states and the District of Columbia have some form of graduated driver licensing laws.
The challenge now is to strengthen these laws to make them more effective.

Does AAA offer any resources to help teen drivers gain more experience?

The AAA Foundation has released an update of their popular educational tool for parents, an interactive DVD called Driver-ZED. More information can be found at the Web site www.driverzed.org.
Teaching Your Teens To Drive is a colorfully illustrated handbook and live-action video that parents can use to help their teens become safe, knowledgeable drivers. It can be ordered on the Web at by calling 800-327-3444.
Many AAA clubs offer driver education, both classroom and behind the wheel. Find information from your local club at www.aaa.com.
AAA has developed model language specifically designed for state Departments of Motor Vehicles Web sites aimed at helping parents better understand the teen crash problem and their role in turning their teens into safe adult drivers. This model language can be found at www.aaa.com/publicaffairs. AAA produced this Web content after a survey of state DMV sites revealed that many fall short on basic content helpful for parents in developing their young drivers.

What is GDL?

Graduated driver licensing, or GDL, laws help ensure new drivers are prepared prior to hitting the road on their own. GDL systems gradually introduce teens to the road and require them to progress through three stages before receiving full driving privileges. Teens typically spend 3-12 months in each of the first two stages. In most cases, early stages include conditions such as driving curfews, limits on the number and age of passengers, and requirements for adult-supervised, behind-the-wheel experience.

The learner’s permit stage is when a novice driver practices basic driving skills and safe driving practices under totally supervised conditions for a set number of hours (10 hours nighttime).
A restricted or probationary license stage allows unsupervised driving during lower-risk times of the day with nighttime restrictions from at least midnight to 5 a.m. and passenger restrictions prohibiting teen passengers for the first six months or longer.
A full, unrestricted license is issued after the successful completion of stage two.

Have GDL laws been shown to be effective?

As this study demonstrates, GDL laws are effective at lowering crash rates for teens. Having a three-stage GDL program is more effective, and programs that put limitations teens, such as fewer night driving hours and having fewer teens in the vehicle, have a greater ability to save lives.